Plautus Casina 3.6

Henry Thomas Riley (Translator)

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Casina. Plautus. Henry Thomas Riley (Translator). London. 1913.

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Current edition Perseus

Casina, or The Stratagem Defeated (English) (Plautus. The Comedies of Plautus, Volume 2. Riley, Henry Thomas, translator. London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1913.)

Editions (1)
Casina Perseus (Plautus. Plauti Comoediae, Volume 1. Leo, Friedrich, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1895.) — 3.6 focus

Notes on the current edition

Casina, or The Stratagem Defeated

1. Briars beneath their banners: This figure is derived partly from gardening, partly from military tactics. The assistants of the Cook are compared to briars, because they tear and carry off everything they meet; and their leader is requested to keep them sub signis, beneath the banners, lest, like soldiers on a march, leaving their ranks, they should stroll about to plunder and steal. The bad character of the hired cooks has been referred to in the Pseudolus. It will be also found enlarged upon in the Aulularia.
2. With a twofold loss: Probably, pilfering in all directions, and then getting paid for their services.
3. I admit that so I am: Fateor. His conscience pricking him for his disgraceful conduct, he is glad to catch the opportunity of alleging that he really is a bonus vir vice thus paying homage to virtue.
4. Part of line 728b in the Latin.
5. Causing me ennui: This is in Greek in the original— πράνματα μοι παρέχεις. More literally, You give me trouble. It was a phrase generally used by a superior when annoyed by an inferior, and aptly shows the degraded position to which Stalino has reduced himself by his base associations with his servant Olympio. An attempt has been made in the translation, perhaps not very successfully, to portray the impression intended to be conveyed by the passage by the use of the French word ennui.
6. Part of line 728b in the Latin.
7. A grand coup: Μέγα κάκον. Literally, A great mischief.
8. O mon Dieu: Ὦ Ζεύ. Literally, O Zeus! or O Jupiter!
9. Provide me some amusement: He perhaps alludes to the gratification of his villanous intentions with regard to Casina. If not, his meaning is still more gross. He is, without exception, the most despicable character, with the exception of Dinarchus, in the Truculentus, depicted in any Play of Plautus.
10. Charmingly sauced up: By the use of the word ebria, he either means that the hashes are to be swimming with sauces and gravies, or that plenty of wine is to be provided.
11. In the style of your sumptuous foreigners: Barbarico ritu. He perhaps alludes to the Eastern style of entertainments, which were probably accompanied with more magnificence, and, at the same time, greater sobriety, which doubtless would not agree with his Epicurean notions.
12. Part of line 748 in the Latin.