Plautus Aulularia 3.5

Henry Thomas Riley (Translator)

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Aulularia. Plautus. Henry Thomas Riley (Translator). London. 1912.

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Current edition Perseus

Aulularia, or The Concealed Treasure (English) (Plautus. The Comedies of Plautus, Volume 1. Riley, Henry Thomas, translator. London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1912.)

Editions (1)
Aulularia Perseus (Plautus. Plauti Comoediae, Volume 1. Leo, Friedrich, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1895.) — 3.5 focus

Notes on the current edition

Aulularia, or The Concealed Treasure

1. Than Gallic geldings: Mules were much coveted by the haughty names of Rome for the purpose of drawing their carriages. He says that if he had his way, such extravagance should not be encouraged, and mules should not be a bit more valuable than humble Gallic geldings.
2. And lacqueys: Pedissequos. The pedissequi were a particular class of slaves whose duty it was to follow their master when he went out of doors. They were of the lowest rank in the slave family.
3. Pages to carry: The salutigeruli pueri were boys whose business it was to run on errands, and carry messages and compliments from one house to another. Hildyard suggests the rather refined translation of boys to carry visiting-cards.
4. More carriages: Plaustra generally mean carts or waggons, and perhaps, from his reference to the country, may have that signification here; though he has just been speaking of the luxury of the ladies, with their vehicla, or carriages.
5. The scourer: The fullo was a washer and cleaner of linen and woollen clothing with fuller’s earth. As woollen dresses were chiefly worn by the Romans, they would, by reason of the perspiration produced by so hot a climate, require frequent purification. As the ancients, probably, were not acquainted with the use of ordinary washing soap, various alkalis were used in its place for the purpose of cleansing garments. It is not known whether the fuller’s earth of the Romans resembled that used at the present day.
6. Dealers in figured skirts: Patagiarii. These were persons who sold the patagium, which was a broad band or hem on the tunics of the women, answering to the clavus, or broad stripe, on the clothes of the men. It may possibly have been the same as the instita, or broad flounce, which distinguished the Roman matrons of reputable character.
7. Dealers in women’s under-clothing: Indusiarii, makers or sellers of the indusium, which is by some thought to have been the upper tunic worn by the Roman women; while others suppose the under tunic, worn next the skin, to have been so called, from intus, innermost.
8. Dyers in wax-colour: Carinarii. Ovid, in the Art of Love, B. 3, l. 184, has the line, Sua velleribus nomina cera dedit. The wax has given its own name to the wool. The yellow colour resembling that of wax was much esteemed by the Romans.
9. Sleeve-makers: Manulearii, makers of the manulea. This was a long sleeve fitted on to the tunics of the Roman ladies, and was probably made to take on and off, for the purpose of keeping the arms and hands warm.
10. Perfumers: Murobrecharii. One reading here is murrobathrarii, persons who give an agreable smell to women’s shoes, by scenting them with myrrh. Murobrecharii, which is adopted above, means perfumers, or persons who scented the clothes, from the Greek μνρὸν, ointment, and βρέχω, to moisten. Myrrh or nard was much used for this purpose. The unguents or ointments used by the ancients were very numerous. Among those used for the skin or the hair were mendesium, megalesium, metoplum, amaracinum, Cyprinum, susinum, nardinum, spicatuin, jasminum, rosaceum, and crocus oil, which last was considered the most costly. Powders were also used as perfumes; they were called diapasmata. The Greeks used expensive perfumes from early times, and both Greeks and Romans were in the habit of carrying them about in small boxes of elegant workmanship. In the luxurious city of Capua , there was one great street, called the Seplasia, which consisted entirely of shops in which ointments and perfumes were sold.
11. Hairdressers: Ciniflones. The ciniflones were those persons whose duty it was to heat the calamistrum, or curling-iron, in woodashes (cinis), from which they took their name. In the time of Cicero, the youths of Rome generally had their hair curled, whence they were termed calamistrati.
12. Boddice-makers: Strophiarii. These were makers of the band or stomacher which was worn by the women, to correct excessive protuberance of the breast and stomach.
13. Makers of kirtles: Semizonarii. These were makers or sellers of semicinctia, which were little aprons or kirtles extending half way down the body.
14. Three hundred duns: Phylacistae, from the Greek φνλακιστης, a keeper of a prison. He calls duns or importunate creditors by this name, from their keeping as close a watch on the front of a debtor’s house as if they were gaolers.
15. Lace-makers: Limbuarii. The makers of limbus, lace or fringes for women’s dresses.
16. Cabinet-makers: Arcularil, makers of arcuiae, caskets or cabinets for jewels and nicknacks.
17. The tax-gatherer: Miles. Literally, the soldier. This is explained as meaning that the soldier comes to receive the military tribute levied by the Tribunes, which was called aes militare. The word may, however possibly mean simply the officer of the magistrate by whom the tribute was levied, as miles has sometimes, though very rarely, that signification.
18. With your banker: The argentarii acted as bankers of deposit upon whom the depositors drew checks as with us.