Plautus Pseudolus 1.3

Henry Thomas Riley (Translator)

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

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Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)
Pseudolus Perseus (Plautus. Plauti Comoediae, Volume 2. Leo, Friedrich, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1896.) — 1.3 focus

Notes on the current edition

Pseudolus, or The Cheat

1. No Latin equivalent in Perseus text.
2. Part of line 255d in the Latin.
3. Bring it to me: Ducito. This word may either mean bring the money when you have got it, or take away Phœnicium when you bring the money. The former seems the most probable meaning.
4. And were presenting: Porricio was the word especially employed to signify the act of laying the entrails on the altar, for the purpose of burning them.
5. Love and pinching want: Amatur atque egetur aeritor. Literally, it is loved, and is wanted sharply.
6. To the usurer: Danista from the Greek δανίστης, an usurer.
7. Since, i’ faith: He alludes probably to the recent fraudulent failure of some well-known bankers.
8. Buy oil on credit: Emito die caecâ—id vendito oculatâ die. By buying a commodity on a blind day, and selling it on one with eyes, is meant the system of credit for the purposes of business; where they who purchase on that principle have an eye only to the present time, but are blind as to the future consequences of their speculation. The intention of the procurer is to advise the young man to get oil on credit, and then sell it for anything it will fetch.
9. The twenty-five year old law: The Quinavicenarian, which was also called the Laetorian Law, forbade credit to be given to persons under the age of twenty-five years, and deprived the creditor of all right to recover his money or goods. As usual, Plautus does not scruple to refer to Roman customs, though the scene is at Athens.
10. The same law: By using the word lex, he probably means that the law also applies to him, as it forbids him to give credit; or he may simply mean that it is his rule and custom not to give credit.
11. Complaim that brings: Cum argentatâ querimomâ. Literally, with a silvery complaint. He probably alludes to the chinking of silver.
12. To your stepmother: Stepmothers, in ancient times, were proverbially notorious for their unfeeling conduct to their step-children. Ballio ironically tells him to go and look for sympathy from his stepmother, on which Pseudolus retorts by implying that Ballio is as unfeeling as any stepmother can be.
13. The sacrificers: Lanios. Literally, butchers. These were the popae, or servants of the priests, who slaughtered the cattle which were offered in sacrifice.
14. Entrails of minœ: Mininis extis. He intends a pun by the use of the word mininis, Mina, as has been already observed, meant a kind of sheep without wool on its belly, and also the sum of money composed of a hundred drachmae. He does not want victims, he wants the entrails of the money for his propitiation.
15. Beyond the gate: The Metian Gate at Rome is supposed to be here referred to, where the butchers kept their slaughter-houses, and where the lanii were likely to be found. It is not improbable that the priests and sacrificers wore bells on their dress, to which reference is probably made in the next line. Perhaps they were employed for the purpose of drowning the cries of the victims. The ephod of the Jewish high priest was adorned with bells.
16. To utter perdition: In malam crucem. Literally, go to the dreadful cross, which answers to our expression, go to perdition; or, in unpolite parlance, go to the devil. It alludes to the cross, as the instrument of punishment for slaves and malefactors of the lower order.
17. With all her inwards: Cum intestinis omnibus. By this unfeeling expression, the fellow means, stark naked, just as she stands. However, we will do him the justice to suppose that when, in the sequel, she is led away by Simmia, a toga is thrown over her for decency’s sake.
18. In solemn form: To take an oath in solemn form, or, concepts verbis, was when the oath was repeated by another person, and the party swearing him followed in his words. The Roman formula for swearing was Ex animi mei sententiâ iuro.
19. Run to the Praetor: The Praetor was the public officer at Rome who liberated slaves at the request of their owners. The ceremony was performed by his lictor laying a rod called vindicta on the head of the person manumitted.
20. Telling nothing new: He means that Calidorus has called him that already; which he has done in the 354th line.
21. Pooh! pooh!: Bombax. This is a Greek word, an expression of contempt.
22. Into a pierced cask: This notion is probably taken from the punishment of the daughters of Danaüs, who, for the murder of their husbands, the sons of Aegyptus, were doomed by Jupiter to pass their time in the Infernal regions in gathering up water in perforated vessels.
23. Cook does a lamprey: The muraena, or lamprey, was a dish highly valued by the Romans.