Plautus, Curculio, Henry Thomas Riley (Translator), 4.1

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462 (Enter the CHOREGUS ¹, as CHORUS.)

THE CHOREGUS

By my faith, Phaedromus has cleverly met with this clever rogue; but whether a salt-water rogue² or a dry-land one I’m the rather to say he is, I really don’t know. The costume that I’ve lent I fear I shan’t get back.

Although I have nothing whatever to do with him (I trusted Phaedromus himself), still I’ll keep an eye upon him. But until he comes out of doors, I’ll point out in what place you may easily meet with each person, that he mayn’t lose his labour through too much trouble, if any one wishes to meet either a rascal or one without rascality, or an honest man or a dishonest one.
465

He who desires to meet with a perjured fellow, let him go into the courts of law³; he who wants a liar and a braggart, near the rites of Cloacina⁴. The rich and erring husbands seek you at the magisterial halls of the Basilica. There, too, will be the worn-out harlots, and those who are wont to haggle for them. Contributors to pic-nic dinners⁵ you’ll find in the fishmarket.
470

In the lower part of the Forum good men⁶ and opulent do walk; in the middle, near the canal⁷, there are the mere puffers-off. Beyond the lake⁸ of Curtius are impudent, talkative, and malevolent fellows, who boldly, without reason, utter calumnies about another, and who, themselves, have sufficient that might with truth be said against them.
475

There, at the old shops⁹, are these who lend and those who borrow at interest. Behind the Temple of Castor there are those to whom unguardedly you may be lending to your cost. There, in the Etrurian street, are those men who hold themselves¹⁰ on sale. In the Velabrum¹¹ you’ll find either baker, or butcher, or soothsayer; either those who sell retail themselves, or supply to others things to be sold by retail.
480

Rich sinning husbands you’ll find at the house of Oppian Leucadia¹². But, meantime, the door makes a noise; I must curb my tongue.
485
(Exit.)

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

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Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

Curculio Perseus (Plautus. Plauti Comoediae, Volume 1. Leo, Friedrich, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1895.) — 4.1 focus

462

Choragvs

Edepol nugatorem lepidum lepide hunc nactust Phaedromus.

halapantam an sycophantam mágis esse dicam nescio.

ornamenta quae locavi metuo ut possim recipere;

quamquam cum istoc mihi negoti nihil est: ipsi Phaedromo
465

credidi; tamen asservabo. sed dum hic egreditur foras,

commonstrabo, quo in quemque hominem facile inveniatis loco,

ne nimio opere sumat operam si quem conventum velit,

vel vitiosum vel sine vitio, vel probum vel improbum.

qui periurum convenire volt hominem ito in comitium;
470

qui mendacem et gloriosum, ápud Cloacinae sacrum,

ditis damnosos maritos sub basilica quaerito.

ibidem erunt scorta exoleta quique stipulari solent,

symbolarum collatores apud forum piscarium.

in foro infimo boni homines atque dites ambulant,
475

in medio propter canalem, ibi ostentatores meri;

confidentes garrulique et malevoli supera lacum,

qui alteri de nihilo audacter dicunt contumeliam

et qui ipsi sat habent quod in se possit vere dicier.

sub veteribus, ibi sunt qui dant quique accipiunt faenore.
480

pone aedem Castoris, ibi sunt subito quibus credas male.

in Tusco vico, ibi sunt homines qui ipsi sese venditant,

in Velabro vel pistorem vel lanium vel haruspicem

vel qui ipsi vorsant vel qui aliis ubi vorsentur praebeant.

ditis damnosos maritos apud Leucadiam Oppiam.
485

sed interim fores crepuere: linguae moderandum est mihi.—

Notes on the current edition

Curculio, or The Forgery

1. The Choregus: The Choregus was the person who had the care of the dresses and decorations for the actors, and provided the Choruses. See the Trinummus, l. 858 (Act IV., Sc. 2) .

2. Salt-water rogue: Halophantam. The halophantae were those who informed against the exporters of salt contrary to law, as the sycophantae did against the exporters of figs. The Choregus is using a choice of names for the same thing, as he means to say, call him by what name you will, Curculio is a clever rogue. It is not possible to translate the passage literally and preserve the spirit of it at the same time.

3. Into the courts of law: The Comitium was a place in the Roman Forum, near the Curia, where trials were carried on before the Praetor. It was near the Puteal Libonis, or Scribonianum. where witnesses were sworn, and perjured people were to be found, ready to give false testimony.

4. Rites of Cloacina: Venus is supposed to have been called by this name, from her statue having been once found in the Cloacae, or sewer of Rome. He alludes to the neighbourhood of her Temple, in which Plautus himself is said to have dwelt, The Basilica has been mentioned in a previous Note.

5. Pic-nic dinners: The symbolae, or pic-nic entertainments, have been referred to in the Notes to the Stichus. They were probably got up on a cheap scale.

6. Good men: Boni is here used in the sense of opulent, men of substance.

7. Near the canal: The banks of this canal were much resorted to by walkers. It is not accurately known in what part of Rome it was situate.

8. Beyond the lake: He probably alludes to the former site of the Curtian Lake, which, in his time, was dried up. Ovid says, in the Fasti, B. vi., l. 401, This place, where now are the markets, formerly fenny marshes covered; a ditch was here swimming with water from the overflowing of the river. That spot formed the Curtian Lake, which now supports the altars on dry ground: ’tis now dry ground, but once it was a lake. It is not a little amusing, that though the Scene is in Epidaurus, Plautus is here discussing Roman scenes and manners.

9. The old shops: He probably alludes to the old shops in the Forum, which were the property of the state, and were let out to the bankers and money-lenders.

10. Who hold themselves: Horace alludes to the turba impia, the impious throng, of the Etrurian street.

11. Velabrum: See the Captivi, l. 494 (Act III., Sc. 1).

12. Oppian Leucadia: The best solution of the meaning of this passage seems to be, that he is alluding to a woman named Leueadia, a freed woman of the Oppian family, whose house was a rendezvous for riotous and debauched husbands.

Plautus Curculio 4.1

Henry Thomas Riley (Translator)

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