§productionHECYRA. ACTA LUDIS MEGALENSIBUS, SEX. IUL. CAESARE CN. CORNELIO DOLABELLA AEDILIBUS CURULIBUS. NON EST PERACTA. MODOS FECIT FLACCUS CLAUDII, TIBIIS PARIBUS. TOTA GRAECA APOLLODORU FACTA EST. ACTA PRIMO SINE PROLOGO. DATA SECUNDO CN. OCTAVIO T. MANLIO COSS. RELATA EST L. AEMILII PAULI LUDIS FUNEBRIBUS. NON EST PLACITA. TERTIO RELATA EST Q. FULVIO L. MARCIO AEDILIBUS CURULIBUS. EGIT L. AMBIVIUS TURPIO. PLACUIT.
THE MOTHER-IN-LAW. PERFORMED AT THE MEGALESIAN GAMES, WHEN SEXTUS IULIUS CAESAR AND GNAEUS CORNELIUS DOLABELLA WERE CURULE AEDILES. IT WAS NOT COMPLETED. FLACCUS, THE SLAVE OF CLAUDIUS, COMPOSED THE MUSIC, FOR EQUAL FLUTES. THE WHOLE WAS TAKEN FROM THE GREEK OF APOLLODORUS. PERFORMED THE FIRST TIME WITHOUT A PROLOGUE. PRODUCED THE SECOND TIME WHEN GNAEUS OCTAVIUS AND TITUS MANLIUS WERE CONSULS. BROUGHT FORWARD AGAIN AT THE FUNERAL GAMES OF LUCIUS AEMILIUS PAULUS. IT DID NOT PLEASE. BROUGHT FORWARD A THIRD TIME WHEN QUINTUS FULVIUS AND LUCIUS MARCIUS WERE CURULE AEDILES. LUCIUS AMBIVIUS TURPIO ACTED IT. IT PLEASED.
§1Hecyra est huic nomen fabulae: haec cum data §2Nova est novum intervenit vitium et calamitas, §3Ut neque spectari neque cognosci potuerit.
The Mother-in-Law is the name of this play; when this was produced as new, a new misfortune and calamity intervened, so that it could neither be witnessed nor understood.
Thus the people, stupid with excitement over a rope-dancer, had occupied their minds.
Nunc haec plane est pro nova; §6Et is qui scripsit hanc ob eam rem noluit §7Iterum referre ut iterum posset vendere.
Now this is clearly in place of a new play; and he who wrote this, for that reason, did not wish to bring it forward again, so that he might be able to sell it again.
§8Alias cognostis eius: quaeso hanc nunc noscite.
You have known other plays of his; I beg you now to know this one.
§9Orator ad vos venio ornatu prologi: §10Sinite exorator sim, eodem ut iure uti senem §11Liceat quo iure sum usus adolescentior; §12Novas qui exactas feci ut inveterascerent, §13Ne cum poeta scriptura evanesceret.
I come to you as an advocate in the dress of a prologue; allow me to be a successful pleader, so that an old man may be permitted to enjoy the same right which right I enjoyed when younger; I who made new plays, which had been driven off, grow old in favor, lest the writing should perish along with the poet.
Among those of Caecilius which I first learned as new, in some of them I was driven off, in others I scarcely stood my ground.
Because I knew that the fortune of the stage is doubtful, with uncertain hope I undertook certain labor for myself.
I began to act the same plays so that I might learn other new ones from the same author with zeal, lest I should withdraw him from his study.
§20Perfeci ut spectarentur.
I brought it about that they were witnessed.
Ubi sunt cognitae, §21Placitae sunt.
When they were understood, they pleased.
Ita poetam restitui in locum §22Prope iam remotum iniuria adversarium §23Ab studio atque ab labore atque arte musica.
Thus I restored the poet to his place, who was almost already removed by injustice as an adversary from his study, and from his labor, and from the musical art.
§24Quod si scripturam sprevissem in praesentia, §25Et in deterrendo voluissem operam sumere, §26Ut in otio esset potius quam in negotio, §27Deterruissem facile ne alias scriberet.
But if I had despised his writing for the present, and had wished to employ my effort in discouraging him, so that he might be in leisure rather than in business, I would easily have discouraged him from writing others.
§28Nunc quid petam mea causa aequo animo attendite.
Now, for my sake, listen with an impartial mind to what I ask.
§29Hecyram ad vos refero, quam mihi per silentium §30Numquam agere licitum est; ita eam oppressit calamitas.
I bring back to you the Mother-in-Law, which in silence I was never permitted to act; so much did calamity oppress it.
This calamity your understanding will allay, if it will be a helper to our industry.
§33Quum primum eam agere coepi, pugilum gloria, §34Funambuli eodem accessit expectatio: §35Comitum conventus, strepitus, clamor mulierum §36Fecere ut ante tempus exirem foras.
When I first began to act it, the glory of boxers, and the expectation of a rope-dancer was added to the same place; the gathering of companions, the noise, the clamor of women made me leave the stage before the time.
I began to use my old custom in a new play, that I might be in making trial; I bring it forward again.
§39Primo actu placeo; quum interea rumor venit §40Datum iri gladiatores; populus convolat: §41Tumultuantur, clamant, pugnant de loco: §42Ego interea meum non potui tutari locum.
In the first act I please; when in the meantime a rumor comes that gladiators are going to be given; the people fly together: they make an uproar, they clamor, they fight for a place; meantime I could not maintain my place.
§43Nunc turba nulla est: otium et silentium est: §44Agendi tempus mihi datum est: vobis datur §45Potestas condecorandi ludos scenicos.
Now there is no crowd; there is leisure and silence; time for acting is given to me; to you is given the power of decorating the scenic games.
§46Nolite sinere per vos artem musicam §47Recidere ad paucos: facite ut vestra auctoritas §48Meae auctoritati fautrix adiutrixque sit.
Do not permit, through your fault, the musical art to fall back to a few; bring it about that your authority may be a promoter and helper to my authority.
§52Sinite impetrare me, qui in tutelam meam §53Studium suum et se in vestram commisit fidem, §54Ne cun circumventum inique iniqui irrideant.
Permit me to obtain my request, for him who committed his study to my protection and himself to your protection, lest the unjust should unjustly mock him who is circumvented.
§55Mea causa causam hanc accipite, et date silentium, §56Ut libeat scribere aliis, mihique ut discere §57Novas expediat posthac pretio emtas meo.
For my sake accept this cause, and give silence, so that it may please others to write, and that it may be expedient for me hereafter to learn new plays bought at my own price.
By Pollux, Sira, how very few faithful lovers you may find turn out to courtesans!
§60Vel hic Pamphilus iurabat quoties Bacchidi, §61Quam sancte ut quivis facile posset credere, §62Nunquam illa viva lucturum uxorem domum.
Even this Pamphilus, how often he swore to Bacchis, so sacredly that anyone could easily believe, that he would never, while she lived, bring home a wife.
§63Hem duxit.
Ah, he has married!
§63bErgo propterea te sedulo §64Et moueo, et hortor, ne cuiusquam misereat, §65Quin spolies, mutiles, laceres, quemque nacta sis.
Therefore, for this reason, I diligently both advise and exhort you, that you pity no one, but that you despoil, mutilate, and tear to pieces whomsoever you have caught.
§66Utine eximium neminem habeam?
That I should have no one excepted?