T. Maccius Plautus, Amphitruo, ed. Friedrich Leo, 3.2

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Line

← Previous Next →

882

Alcvmena

Durare nequeo in aedibus. ita me probri,

stupri, dedecoris a viro argutam meo!

ea quae sunt facta infecta ut reddat clamitat,

quae neque sunt facta neque ego in me admisi arguit;
885

atque id me susque deque esse habituram putat.

non edepol faciam, neque me perpetiar probri

falso insimulatam, quin ego illum aut deseram

aut sátis faciat mi ille átque adiuret insuper,

nolle esse dicta quae in me insontem protulit.
890

Ivppiter

Faciundum est mi illud, fieri quód illaec postulat,

si me illam amantem ad sese studeam recipere,

quando ego quod feci, id factum Amphitruoni offuit

atque illi dudum meus amor negotium

insonti exhibuit, nunc autem insonti mihi
895

illius ira in hanc et male dicta expetent.

Alcvmena

Sed eccum video qui me miseram arguit

stupri, dedecoris.

Ivppiter

Te volo, uxor, conloqui.

quo te avortisti?

Alcvmena

Ita ingenium meumst:

inimicos semper osa sum optuerier.
900

Ivppiter

Heia autem inimicos?

Alcvmena

Sic est, vera praedico;

nisi etiam hoc falso dici insimulaturus es.

Ivppiter

Nimis iracunda es.

Alcvmena

Potin ut abstineas manum?

nam certo, si sis sanus aut sapias satis,

quam tu impudicam esse arbitrere et praedices,
905

cum ea tú sermonem nec ioco nec serio

tibi habeas, nisi sis stultior stultissimo.

Ivppiter

Si dixi, nihilo magis es, neque ego esse arbitror,

et id huc revorti uti me purgarem tibi.

nam numquam quicquam meo animo fuit aegrius,
910

quam postquam audivi ted esse iratam mihi.

cur dixisti? inquies. ego expediam tibi.

non edepol quo te esse impudicam crederem;

verum periclitatus súm animum tuom,

quid faceres et quo pacto id ferre induceres.
915

equidem ioco illa dixeram dudum tibi,

ridiculi causa. vél hunc rogato Sosiam.

Alcvmena

Quin huc adducis meum cognatum Naucratem,

testem quem dudum te adducturum dixeras,

te huc non venisse?
920

Ivppiter

Si quid dictum est per iocum,

non aequom est id te serio praevortier.

Alcvmena

Ego illúd scio quam doluerit cordi meo.

Ivppiter

Per dexteram tuam te, Alcumena, oro obsecro,

da mihi hanc veniam, ignosce, irata ne sies.

Alcvmena

Ego istaec feci verba virtute irrita;
925

nunc, quando factis me impudicis abstini,

ab impudicis dictis avorti volo.

valeas, tibi habeas res tuas, reddas meas.

iuben mi íre comites?

Ivppiter

Sanan es?

Alcvmena

Si non iubes,

ibo egomet; comitem mihi Pudicitiam duxero.†
930

Ivppiter

Mane. arbitratu tuo ius iurandum dabo,

me meam pudicam esse uxorem arbitrarier.

id ego si fallo, tum te, summe Iuppiter,

quaeso, Amphitruoni ut semper iratus sies.

Alcvmena

A, propitius sit potius.
935

Ivppiter

Confido fore;

nam ius iurandum verum te advorsum dedi.

iam nunc irata non es?

Alcvmena

Non sum.

Ivppiter

Bene facis.

nam in hominum aetate multa eveniunt huius modi:

capiunt voluptátes, capiunt rursum miserias;

irae interveniunt, redeunt rursum in gratiam.
940

verum irae si quae forte eveniunt huius modi

inter eos, rursum si reventum in gratiam est,

bis tanto amici sunt inter se quam prius.

Alcvmena

Primum cavisse oportuit ne diceres,

verum eadem si isdem purgas mi, patiunda sunt.
945

Ivppiter

Iube véro vasa pura adornari mihi,

ut quae ápud legionem vota vovi, si domum

rediissem salvos, ea ego exsolvam omnia.

Alcvmena

Ego istuc curabo.

Ivppiter

Evocate huc Sosiam;

gubernatorem qui in mea navi fuit
950

Blepharonem arcessat, qui nobiscum prandeat.

is adeo inpransus ludificabitur,

cum ego Amphitruonem collo hinc obstricto traham.

Alcvmena

Mirum quid solus secum secreto ille agat.

atque aperiuntur aedes. exit Sosia.
955

Amphitruo. T. Maccius Plautus. ed. Friedrich Leo. Berlin. 1895.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Amphitruo (Latin) (Plautus. Plauti Comoediae, Volume 1. Leo, Friedrich, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1895.)

Translations (1)

Amphitryon, or Jupiter in Disguise Perseus (Plautus. The Comedies of Plautus, Volume 2. Riley, Henry Thomas, translator. London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1913.) — 3.2 focus

882 (Enter ALCMENA, from the house.)

ALCMENA

I cannot remain in the house. That I should be thus accused by my husband of dishonor, incontinence, and disgrace! he cries aloud that things which have been done, have really not been done;

and of things which have not been done, and of which I have not been guilty, he accuses me, and supposes that I shall treat it with indifference. By heavens, I will not do so, nor will I allow myself to be falsely charged with dishonor; but rather I’ll either leave him, or make him give satisfaction and swear as well¹
885

that he wishes unsaid the things which he has alleged against me in my innocence.
890

JUPITER

(apart.)

This must be done by me, which she requires to be done, if I wish for her to receive me into her company as loving her: since that which I have done, that same conduct has proved to the detriment of Amphitryon, and since my love has already created trouble for him who is really

guiltless, why now his wrath and his resentment towards her shall fall on me that am not accused.
895

ALCMENA

And lo! I see him, who just now was accusing wretched me of incontinence and dishonor.

JUPITER

(advancing.)

Wife, I would discourse with you. (She turns from him.) Why turn yourself away?

ALCMENA

Such is my disposition;

I always hate to look upon my enemies.
900

JUPITER

Heyday! enemies indeed²!

ALCMENA

It is so, I speak the truth; unless you are going to allege that this is falsely said as well.

JUPITER

(offering to embrace her.)

You are too angry.

ALCMENA

(repulsing him.)

Can’t you keep your hands off? For surely if you were wise, or quite in your senses,

with her, whom you deem and pronounce to be unchaste, you would neither hold discourse, in mirth or in seriousness, unless, indeed, you are more foolish than the most foolish.
905

JUPITER

If I did say so, not a bit the more are you so, nor do I think you so, and therefore have I returned hither that I might excuse myself to you.

For never has anything proved more grievous to my feelings than when I heard that you were angry with me. Why did you charge me? you will say. I’ll tell you; by my troth, not that I deemed you to be unchaste; but I was trying your feelings,
910

what you would do, and in what manner you would bring yourself to bear it. Really, I said these things to you just now in jest, for the sake of the joke. Do but ask Sosia this.
915

ALCMENA

But why don’t you bring here my kinsman, Naucrates, whom you said just now that you would bring as a witness

that you had not come here?
920

JUPITER

If anything was said in joke, it isn’t right for you to take it in earnest.

ALCMENA

I know how much this has pained me at heart.

JUPITER

Prithee, Alcmena (taking her hand), by your right hand I do entreat you, grant me pardon; forgive me, don’t be angry.

ALCMENA

By my virtue have I rendered these accusations vain. Since then I eschew conduct that’s unchaste, I would wish to avoid imputations of unchastity. Fare you well, keep your own ³ property to yourself, return me mine. Do you order any maids to be my attendants?
925

JUPITER

Are you in your senses?

ALCMENA

If you don’t order them,

let me go alone; chastity shall I take as my attendant.
930
(Going.)

JUPITER

Stay—at your desire, I’ll give my oath that I believe my wife ⁴ to be chaste. If in that I deceive you, then, thee, supreme Jupiter, do I entreat that thou wilt ever be angered against⁵ Amphitryon.

ALCMENA

Oh! rather may he prove propitious.
935

JUPITER

I trust that it will be so; for before you have I taken a truthful oath. Now then, you are not angry?

ALCMENA

I am not.

JUPITER

You act properly. For in the life of mortals many things of this nature come to pass; and now they take their pleasures, again they meet with hardships.

Quarrels intervene, again do they become reconciled. But it perchance any quarrels of this nature happen between them, when again they have become reconciled, twofold more loving are they between themselves than they were before.
940

ALCMENA

At the first you ought to have been careful not to say so;

but if you excuse yourself to me for the same, it must be put up with.
945

JUPITER

But bid the sacred vessels to be got ready for me, that I may fulfil all those vows which I made when with the army, in case I should return safe home.

ALCMENA

I’ll take care of that.

JUPITER

(To a SERVANT.)

Call out Sosia hither.

Let him fetch Blepharo, the pilot that was on board my ship, to breakfast with us. (Aside.) He shall be fooled this day ⁶ so as to go without his breakfast, while I shall drag Amphitryon hence by the throat.
950

ALCMENA

(aside.)

It’s surprising what he can be arranging alone in secrecy with himself. But the door opens; Sosia’s coming out.

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Ivppiter Faciundum est mi illud, fieri quód illaec postulat, si me illam amantem ad sese studeam recipere, quando ego quod feci, id factum Amphitruoni offuit atque illi dudum meus amor negotium insonti exhibuit, nunc autem insonti mihi 895 illius ira in hanc et male dicta expetent.

Alcvmena Sed eccum video qui me miseram arguit stupri, dedecoris.

Ivppiter Te volo, uxor, conloqui. quo te avortisti?

Alcvmena Ita ingenium meumst: inimicos semper osa sum optuerier. 900

Ivppiter Heia autem inimicos?

Alcvmena Sic est, vera praedico; nisi etiam hoc falso dici insimulaturus es.

Ivppiter Nimis iracunda es.

Alcvmena Potin ut abstineas manum? nam certo, si sis sanus aut sapias satis, quam tu impudicam esse arbitrere et praedices, 905 cum ea tú sermonem nec ioco nec serio tibi habeas, nisi sis stultior stultissimo.

Alcvmena Quin huc adducis meum cognatum Naucratem, testem quem dudum te adducturum dixeras, te huc non venisse? 920

Ivppiter Si quid dictum est per iocum, non aequom est id te serio praevortier.

Alcvmena Ego illúd scio quam doluerit cordi meo.

Ivppiter Per dexteram tuam te, Alcumena, oro obsecro, da mihi hanc veniam, ignosce, irata ne sies.

Alcvmena Ego istaec feci verba virtute irrita; 925 nunc, quando factis me impudicis abstini, ab impudicis dictis avorti volo. valeas, tibi habeas res tuas, reddas meas. iuben mi íre comites?

Ivppiter Sanan es?

Alcvmena Si non iubes, ibo egomet; comitem mihi Pudicitiam duxero.† 930

Ivppiter Mane. arbitratu tuo ius iurandum dabo, me meam pudicam esse uxorem arbitrarier. id ego si fallo, tum te, summe Iuppiter, quaeso, Amphitruoni ut semper iratus sies.

Alcvmena A, propitius sit potius. 935

Ivppiter Confido fore; nam ius iurandum verum te advorsum dedi. iam nunc irata non es?

Alcvmena Non sum.

Ivppiter Bene facis. nam in hominum aetate multa eveniunt huius modi: capiunt voluptátes, capiunt rursum miserias; irae interveniunt, redeunt rursum in gratiam. 940 verum irae si quae forte eveniunt huius modi inter eos, rursum si reventum in gratiam est, bis tanto amici sunt inter se quam prius.

Alcvmena Primum cavisse oportuit ne diceres, verum eadem si isdem purgas mi, patiunda sunt. 945

Ivppiter Iube véro vasa pura adornari mihi, ut quae ápud legionem vota vovi, si domum rediissem salvos, ea ego exsolvam omnia.

Alcvmena Ego istuc curabo.

Ivppiter Evocate huc Sosiam; gubernatorem qui in mea navi fuit 950 Blepharonem arcessat, qui nobiscum prandeat. is adeo inpransus ludificabitur, cum ego Amphitruonem collo hinc obstricto traham.

Alcvmena Mirum quid solus secum secreto ille agat. atque aperiuntur aedes. exit Sosia. 955

Current edition Perseus

ALCMENA And lo! I see him, who just now was accusing wretched me of incontinence and dishonor.

JUPITER (advancing.) Wife, I would discourse with you. (She turns from him.) Why turn yourself away?

ALCMENA Such is my disposition; I always hate to look upon my enemies. 900

JUPITER Heyday! enemies indeed 2 !

ALCMENA It is so, I speak the truth; unless you are going to allege that this is falsely said as well.

JUPITER (offering to embrace her.) You are too angry.

ALCMENA (repulsing him.) Can’t you keep your hands off? For surely if you were wise, or quite in your senses, with her, whom you deem and pronounce to be unchaste, you would neither hold discourse, in mirth or in seriousness, unless, indeed, you are more foolish than the most foolish. 905

ALCMENA But why don’t you bring here my kinsman, Naucrates, whom you said just now that you would bring as a witness that you had not come here? 920

JUPITER If anything was said in joke, it isn’t right for you to take it in earnest.

ALCMENA I know how much this has pained me at heart.

JUPITER Prithee, Alcmena (taking her hand), by your right hand I do entreat you, grant me pardon; forgive me, don’t be angry.

ALCMENA By my virtue have I rendered these accusations vain. Since then I eschew conduct that’s unchaste, I would wish to avoid imputations of unchastity. Fare you well, keep your own 3 property to yourself, return me mine. Do you order any maids to be my attendants? 925

JUPITER Are you in your senses?

ALCMENA If you don’t order them, let me go alone; chastity shall I take as my attendant. 930 (Going.)

JUPITER Stay—at your desire, I’ll give my oath that I believe my wife 4 to be chaste. If in that I deceive you, then, thee, supreme Jupiter, do I entreat that thou wilt ever be angered against 5 Amphitryon.

ALCMENA Oh! rather may he prove propitious. 935

JUPITER I trust that it will be so; for before you have I taken a truthful oath. Now then, you are not angry?

ALCMENA I am not.

ALCMENA At the first you ought to have been careful not to say so; but if you excuse yourself to me for the same, it must be put up with. 945

JUPITER But bid the sacred vessels to be got ready for me, that I may fulfil all those vows which I made when with the army, in case I should return safe home.

ALCMENA I’ll take care of that.

JUPITER (To a SERVANT.) Call out Sosia hither. Let him fetch Blepharo, the pilot that was on board my ship, to breakfast with us. (Aside.) He shall be fooled this day 6 so as to go without his breakfast, while I shall drag Amphitryon hence by the throat. 950

ALCMENA (aside.) It’s surprising what he can be arranging alone in secrecy with himself. But the door opens; Sosia’s coming out.

Stable identifiers

Ivppiter

Faciundum est mi illud, fieri quód illaec postulat,

si me illam amantem ad sese studeam recipere,

quando ego quod feci, id factum Amphitruoni offuit

atque illi dudum meus amor negotium

insonti exhibuit, nunc autem insonti mihi
895

illius ira in hanc et male dicta expetent.

Alcvmena

Sed eccum video qui me miseram arguit

stupri, dedecoris.

Ivppiter

Te volo, uxor, conloqui.

quo te avortisti?

Alcvmena

Ita ingenium meumst:

inimicos semper osa sum optuerier.
900

Ivppiter

Heia autem inimicos?

Alcvmena

Sic est, vera praedico;

nisi etiam hoc falso dici insimulaturus es.

Ivppiter

Nimis iracunda es.

Alcvmena

Potin ut abstineas manum?

nam certo, si sis sanus aut sapias satis,

quam tu impudicam esse arbitrere et praedices,
905

cum ea tú sermonem nec ioco nec serio

tibi habeas, nisi sis stultior stultissimo.

Alcvmena

Quin huc adducis meum cognatum Naucratem,

testem quem dudum te adducturum dixeras,

te huc non venisse?
920

Ivppiter

Si quid dictum est per iocum,

non aequom est id te serio praevortier.

Alcvmena

Ego illúd scio quam doluerit cordi meo.

Ivppiter

Per dexteram tuam te, Alcumena, oro obsecro,

da mihi hanc veniam, ignosce, irata ne sies.

Alcvmena

Ego istaec feci verba virtute irrita;
925

nunc, quando factis me impudicis abstini,

ab impudicis dictis avorti volo.

valeas, tibi habeas res tuas, reddas meas.

iuben mi íre comites?

Ivppiter

Sanan es?

Alcvmena

Si non iubes,

ibo egomet; comitem mihi Pudicitiam duxero.†
930

Ivppiter

Mane. arbitratu tuo ius iurandum dabo,

me meam pudicam esse uxorem arbitrarier.

id ego si fallo, tum te, summe Iuppiter,

quaeso, Amphitruoni ut semper iratus sies.

Alcvmena

A, propitius sit potius.
935

Ivppiter

Confido fore;

nam ius iurandum verum te advorsum dedi.

iam nunc irata non es?

Alcvmena

Non sum.

Alcvmena

Primum cavisse oportuit ne diceres,

verum eadem si isdem purgas mi, patiunda sunt.
945

Ivppiter

Iube véro vasa pura adornari mihi,

ut quae ápud legionem vota vovi, si domum

rediissem salvos, ea ego exsolvam omnia.

Alcvmena

Ego istuc curabo.

Ivppiter

Evocate huc Sosiam;

gubernatorem qui in mea navi fuit
950

Blepharonem arcessat, qui nobiscum prandeat.

is adeo inpransus ludificabitur,

cum ego Amphitruonem collo hinc obstricto traham.

Alcvmena

Mirum quid solus secum secreto ille agat.

atque aperiuntur aedes. exit Sosia.
955

ALCMENA

And lo! I see him, who just now was accusing wretched me of incontinence and dishonor.

JUPITER

(advancing.)

Wife, I would discourse with you. (She turns from him.) Why turn yourself away?

ALCMENA

Such is my disposition;

I always hate to look upon my enemies.
900

JUPITER

Heyday! enemies indeed²!

ALCMENA

It is so, I speak the truth; unless you are going to allege that this is falsely said as well.

JUPITER

(offering to embrace her.)

You are too angry.

ALCMENA

(repulsing him.)

Can’t you keep your hands off? For surely if you were wise, or quite in your senses,

with her, whom you deem and pronounce to be unchaste, you would neither hold discourse, in mirth or in seriousness, unless, indeed, you are more foolish than the most foolish.
905

ALCMENA

But why don’t you bring here my kinsman, Naucrates, whom you said just now that you would bring as a witness

that you had not come here?
920

JUPITER

If anything was said in joke, it isn’t right for you to take it in earnest.

ALCMENA

I know how much this has pained me at heart.

JUPITER

Prithee, Alcmena (taking her hand), by your right hand I do entreat you, grant me pardon; forgive me, don’t be angry.

ALCMENA

By my virtue have I rendered these accusations vain. Since then I eschew conduct that’s unchaste, I would wish to avoid imputations of unchastity. Fare you well, keep your own ³ property to yourself, return me mine. Do you order any maids to be my attendants?
925

JUPITER

Are you in your senses?

ALCMENA

If you don’t order them,

let me go alone; chastity shall I take as my attendant.
930
(Going.)

JUPITER

Stay—at your desire, I’ll give my oath that I believe my wife ⁴ to be chaste. If in that I deceive you, then, thee, supreme Jupiter, do I entreat that thou wilt ever be angered against⁵ Amphitryon.

ALCMENA

Oh! rather may he prove propitious.
935

JUPITER

I trust that it will be so; for before you have I taken a truthful oath. Now then, you are not angry?

ALCMENA

I am not.

ALCMENA

At the first you ought to have been careful not to say so;

but if you excuse yourself to me for the same, it must be put up with.
945

JUPITER

But bid the sacred vessels to be got ready for me, that I may fulfil all those vows which I made when with the army, in case I should return safe home.

ALCMENA

I’ll take care of that.

JUPITER

(To a SERVANT.)

Call out Sosia hither.

Let him fetch Blepharo, the pilot that was on board my ship, to breakfast with us. (Aside.) He shall be fooled this day ⁶ so as to go without his breakfast, while I shall drag Amphitryon hence by the throat.
950

ALCMENA

(aside.)

It’s surprising what he can be arranging alone in secrecy with himself. But the door opens; Sosia’s coming out.