Humanitext Reader

Terence · Adelphoe §142-198

Micio's Soliloquy and Aeschinus's Threat to Sannio

Passage 5 of 18 · Latin

Summary

After his conversation with Demea, Micio soliloquizes about Aeschinus's wild youth and heads to the forum. Meanwhile, Aeschinus, accompanied by Parmeno, asserts the freedom of the girl he took from the pimp Sannio, intimidating him.

§142Nonnihil molesta sunt haec mihi: sed ostendere §143Me aegre pati illi nolui: nam ita est homo; §144Quum placo adversor sedulo et deterreo.
These things are somewhat troublesome to me: but I did not wish to show him that I take them to heart: for such is the man; when I try to soothe him, I diligently oppose and discourage him.
§145Tamen vix humane patitur: verum si augeam, §146Aut etiam adiutor sim eius iracundiae, §147Insaniam profecto cum illo; etsi Aeschinus §148Nonnullam in hac re nobis facit iniuriam.
Yet he scarcely bears it like a gentleman: but if I should increase, or even be an assistant to his anger, I should certainly go mad along with him; although Aeschinus does us some injustice in this matter.
§149Quam hic non amavit meretricem? aut cui non dedit §150Aliquid? postremo, nuper (credo iam omnium §151Taedebat) dixit velle uxorem ducere.
What courtesan has he not loved? Or to whom has he not given something? Finally, lately (I believe he was already weary of them all) he said he wanted to take a wife.
§152Sperabam iam defervisse adolescentiam: §153Gaudebam.
I was hoping that his youth had already cooled down: I was rejoicing.
Ecce autem de integro.
But behold, all over again.
Nisi quicquid est §154Volo scire, atque hominem convenire si apud forum est.
Still, whatever it is, I want to know, and to meet the man if he is at the forum.
§155Obsecro, populares, ferte misero atque innocenti auxilium: §156Subvenite inopi.
I beseech you, fellow-citizens, bring aid to a miserable and innocent man: succor the helpless.
§156bOtiose nunc iam ilico hic consiste.
Quietly now, stand there on the spot.
§157Quid respectas? nihil pericli est: nunquam dum ego adero hic te tanget.
Why do you look back? There is no danger: as long as I am present here, he shall never touch you.
§158Ego istam invitis omnibus— §159Quamquam est scelestus non committet hodie unquam iterum ut vapulet.
I, in spite of everyone— Although he is a scoundrel, he will never today risk being beaten again.
§160Aeschine audi: ne te ignarum fuisse dicas meorum morum; §161Leno ego sum.
Listen, Aeschinus: lest you say you were ignorant of my character; I am a pimp.
§161bScio.
I know.
§161cAt ita ut usquam fuit fide quisquam optima.
But yet of as good faith as anyone ever was.
§162Tu quod te posterius purges hanc iniuriam mihi nolle §163Factam esse huius non faciam: crede hoc; ego meum ius persequar; §164Neque tu verbis solves unquam quod mihi re male feceris.
As for your clearing yourself afterwards that you did not wish this injury to be done to me, I shall not care a straw: believe this; I shall pursue my right; nor shall you ever with words make amends for what you have done wrong to me in deed.
§165Novi ego vestra haec:"Nollem factum; "iusiurandum dabitur te esse §166Indignum iniuria hac; indignis quum egomet sim acceptus modis.
I know these ways of yours: "I wish it hadn't been done;" an oath will be taken that you are unworthy of this injury; when I myself have been treated in an unworthy manner.
§167Abi prae strenue ac fores aperi.
Go on before quickly and open the doors.
§167bCeterum hoc nihil facis.
But by this you effect nothing.
§168I intro iam nunc.
Go inside right now.
§168bAt enim non sinam.
But indeed I will not allow it.
§168cAccede illuc Parmeno; §169Nimium istoc abisti: hic propter hunc adsiste.
Step over there, Parmeno; you have gone too far that way: stand here close to him.
Hem, sic volo.
There, that's how I want it.
§170Cave nunc iam oculos a meis oculis quoquam demoveas tuos: §171Ne mora sit si innuerim quin pugnus continuo in mala haereat.
Mind now that you do not turn your eyes away from my eyes anywhere: that there be no delay, if I nod, but that your fist immediately stick in his cheek.
§172Istuc volo ergo ipsum experiri.
That very thing then I want to experience.
§172bHem, serva: omitte mulierem.
Here, watch out: let go of the woman.
§173O facinus indignum!
O shameful deed!
§173bGeminabit nisi caves.
He will double it unless you look out.
§173cHei misero mihi!
Woe to miserable me!
§174Non innueram: verum in istam partem potius peccato tamen.
I had not nodded: but yet err on that side rather than the other.
§175I nunc iam.
Go now indeed.
§175bQuid hoc rei est! regnumne Aeschine hic tu possides?
What is this business! Do you, Aeschinus, hold kingly power here?
§176Si possiderem ornatus esses ex tuis virtutibus.
If I held it, you would have been decorated according to your virtues.
§177Quid tibi rei mecum est?
What business have you with me?
§177bNihil.
Nothing.
§177cQuid? nostin qui sim?
What? Do you know who I am?
§177dNon desidero.
I do not desire to.
§178Tetigin tui quicquam?
Did I touch anything of yours?
§178bSi attigisses ferres infortunium.
If you had touched it, you would have suffered misfortune.
§179Qui tibi magis licet meam habere pro qua ego argentum dedi?
How is it more lawful for you to keep my girl for whom I paid money?
§180Responde.
Answer.
§180bAnte aedes non fecisse erit melius hic convicium; §181Nam si molestus pergis esse iam intro abripiere atque ibi §182Usque ad necem operiere loris.
It will be better not to make a clamor here before the house; for if you persist in being troublesome, you shall be dragged inside immediately and there covered with lashes even to death.
§182bLoris liber?
With lashes, a free man?
§182cSic erit.
So it shall be.
§183O hominem impurum! hicine libertatem aiunt aequam esse omnibus?
O impure man! Is it here that they say liberty is equal to all?
§184Si satis iam debacchatus es leno audi si vis nunc iam.
If you have now raged enough, pimp, listen now if you please.
§185Egon debacchatus sum autem, an tu in me?
Have I raged, or you against me?
§185bMitte ista, atque ad rem redi.
Dismiss those things, and return to the matter.
§186Quam rem? quo redeam?
What matter? Whither should I return?
§186bIamne me vis dicere id quod ad te attinet?
Do you wish me now to say that which concerns you?
§187Cupio; aequi modo aliquid.
I desire it; only let it be something fair.
§187bVah! leno iniqua me non vult loqui.
Bah! A pimp does not wish me to speak unjust things.
§188Leno sum, fateor, pernicies communis adolescentium; §189Periurus, pestis; tamen tibi a me nulla orta est iniuria.
I am a pimp, I confess, the common ruin of youth; a perjurer, a pestilence; yet no injury has arisen to you from me.
§190Nam hercle etiam hoc restat.
By Hercules, indeed even this remains.
§190bIlluc quaeso redi quo coepisti, Aeschine.
I pray you return to that point where you began, Aeschinus.
§191Minis viginti tu illam emisti; quae res tibi vertat male.
You bought her for twenty minae; may which business turn out badly for you.
§192Argenti tantum dabitur.
Just so much money shall be given.
§192bQuid si ego tibi illam nolo vendere,
What if I do not wish to sell her to you?
§193Coges me?
Will you force me?
§193bMinime.
By no means.
§193cNamque id metui.
For indeed I feared that.
§193dNeque vendendam censeo, §194Quae libera est; nam ego liberali illam assero causa manu.
Nor do I think she should be sold, she who is free; for I assert her freedom by legal claim.
§195Nunc vide utrum vis; argentum accipere, an causam meditari tari tuam?
Now see which you wish; to receive the money, or to prepare your case?
§196Delibera hoc dum ego redeo leno.
Deliberate on this while I return, pimp.
§196bPro supreme Iupiter!
O supreme Jupiter!
§197Minime miror qui insanire occipiunt ex iniuria.
I do not wonder at all at those who begin to go mad from injury.
§198Domo me eripuit; verberavit; me invito abduxit meam:
He dragged me from my house; he beat me; he carried off my girl against my will:

Notes

  1. §144adversor sedulo et deterreo — The main verbs adversor (deponent, first person singular) and deterreo (first person singular) follow the temporal clause introduced by quum (cum) placo ("when I try to soothe [him]"). This depicts Micio's approach where, even in trying to pacify Demea, he actively opposes and deters him to keep his anger in check.
  2. §162huius non faciam — The genitive huius is a genitive of value, used with a demonstrative force (often accompanied by a gesture like a snap of fingers) to mean "I shall not care a straw for it." The entire structure places the appositive quod-clause ("As for the fact that you will excuse yourself later...") at the beginning, serving as the object of evaluation for the main clause.
  3. §171quin pugnus continuo in mala haereat — The conjunction quin is used here after a negative expression of delay (ne mora sit, "lest there be delay") to introduce a subjunctive clause (haereat) meaning "but that [your fist] immediately stick." The word mala is not the neuter plural of the adjective malus, but the accusative of māla ("cheek" or "jaw"), functioning with the preposition in to mean "in the cheek."
  4. §174peccato — This is the future imperative (second-person singular) of the verb pecco ("to sin, err"). It is used here to issue a firm instruction or advice: "if you must err, you shall err on that side."
  5. §194liberali causa manu assero — A legal technical phrase related to the Roman lawsuit for claiming freedom (vindicatio in libertatem). The expression asserere manu refers to laying a hand on a person in court to assert either ownership or freedom. Here, combined with liberali causa ("on the ground of her being free"), it indicates Aeschinus's intention to legally assert the girl's status as a freeborn woman.

Cite this passage

Terence, Adelphoe §142-198. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0134.phi006.humanitext-lat2:142-198

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