T. Maccius Plautus, Pseudolus, ed. Friedrich Leo, 4.2

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Ballio

Mínus malum hunc hominem esse opinor quam esse censebam coquom,

nam nihil etiam dum harpagavit praeter cyathum et cantharum.

Psevdolvs

Heus tu, nunc occasio est et tempus.

Simo

Tecum sentio.

Psevdolvs

Ingredere in viam dolose: ego hic in insidiis ero.

Simo

Habui numerum sedulo: hoc est sextum a porta proxumum
960

angiportum, in id angiportum me devorti iusserat;

quotumas aedis dixerit, id ego admodum incerto scio.

Ballio

Quis hic homo chlamydatus est aut unde est aut quem quaeritat?

peregrina facies videtur hominis atque ignobilis.

Simo

Sed eccum qui ex incerto faciet mihi quod quaero certius.
965

Ballio

Ad me adit recta. unde ego hominem hunc esse dicam gentium?

Simo

Heus tu, qui cum hirquina barba stas, responde quod rogo.

Ballio

Eho, an non príus salutas?

Simo

Nulla est mihi salus dataria.

Ballio

Nam pol hinc tantumdem accipies.
969970

Psevdolvs

Iam inde a principio probe.

Simo

Ecquem in angiporto hoc hominem tu novisti? te rogo.

Ballio

Egomet me.

Simo

Pauci istuc faciunt homines quod tu praedicas,

nam in foro vix decumus quisque est qui ipsus sese noverit.

Psevdolvs

Salvos sum, iam philosophatur.

Simo

Hominem ego hic quaero malum,

legirupam, impurum, peiurum atque impium.
975

Ballio

Me quaeritat,

nam illa mea sunt cognomenta; nomen si memoret modo.

quid est ei homini nomen?

Simo

Leno Ballio.

Ballio

Scivin ego?

ipse ego is sum, adulescens, quem tu quaeris.

Simo

Tune es Ballio?

Ballio

Ego enim vero is sum.
979980

Simo

Vt vestitu ’ s es, es perfossor parietum.

Ballio

Credo, in tenebris, conspicatus si sis me, apstineas manum.

Simo

Erus meus tibi me salutem multam voluit dicere.

hanc epistulam accipe a me, hanc mé tibi iussit dare.

Ballio

Quis is homost qui iussit?

Psevdolvs

Perii, nunc homo in medio lutost;

nomen nescit, haeret haec res.
985

Ballio

Quem hanc misisse ad me autumas?

Simo

Nosce imaginem: tute eius nomen memorato mihi,

ut sciam te Ballionem esse ipsum.

Ballio

Cedo mi epistulam.

Simo

Accipe et cognosce signum.

Ballio

Oh, Polymachaeroplagides

purus putus est ipsus. novi. heus, Polymachaeroplagides

nomen est.
990

Simo

Scio iám me recte tibi dedisse epistulam,

postquam Polymachaeroplagidem elocutus nomen es.

Ballio

Quid agit is?

Simo

Quod homo edepol fortis atque bellator probus.

sed propera hanc pellegere quaeso epistulam (ita negotium est),

atque accipere argentum actutum mulieremque emittere.

nam necessést hodie Sicyoni me esse aut cras mortem exsequi,
995

ita erus meus est imperiosus.

Ballio

Novi, notis praedicas.

Simo

Propera pellegere épistulam ergo.

Ballio

Id ago, si taceas modo.

milés lenoni Ballioni epistulam

conscriptam mittit Polymachaeroplagides,

imagine obsignatam quae inter nos duo
1000

convenit olim. sumbolust in epistula.

video, et cognosco signum. sed in epistula

nullam salutem mittere scriptam solet?

Simo

Ita militaris disciplinast, Ballio:

manu salutem mittunt benevolentibus;
1005

eadém malam rem mittunt malevolentibus.

sed, ut occepisti, perge opera experirier

quid epistula ista narret.

Ballio

Ausculta modo.

Harpax calator meus est, ad te qui venit—

tun es is Harpax?
1010

Simo

Ego sum, atque ipse ἅρπαξ quidem.

Ballio

“Qui epistulam istam fert; ab eo argentum accipi,

cum eo simitu mulierem mitti volo.

salutem scriptam dignum est dignis mittere:

te si arbitrarem dignum, misissem tibi.”

Simo

Quid nunc?
1015

Ballio

Argentum des, abducas mulierem.

Simo

Vter remoratur?

Ballio

Quin sequere ergo intro.—

Simo

Sequor.—

Pseudolus. 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

Pseudolus (Latin) (Plautus. Plauti Comoediae, Volume 2. Leo, Friedrich, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1896.)

Translations (1)

Pseudolus, or The Cheat Perseus (Plautus. The Comedies of Plautus, Volume 1. Riley, Henry Thomas, translator. London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1912.) — 4.2 focus

956 (Enter BALLIO from his house.)

BALLIO

I do believe that this fellow is not so bad a cook as I thought he was; for he has clawed off nothing as yet except a cup and a tankard.

PSEUDOLUS

(apart to SIMMIA.)

Hallo you! now’s your opportunity and your time.

SIMO

I agree with you.

PSEUDOLUS

Step slily out into the street; I’ll be here in ambush.

(SIMMIA steps forward, and then walks along the middle of the street to meet BALLIO.)

SIMO

(talking aloud to himself.)

I took the number carefully; this is the sixth lane from the city gate; down that lane he bade me turn; how many houses down he told me, that I don’t quite know for certain.
960

BALLIO

(eyeing SIMMIA.)

Who’s this fellow in the scarf, or whence does he come, or whom is he looking for? The appearance of the fellow seems outlandish and shabby.

SIMO

But see, here’s a person, who, from uncertainty, will make the thing more certain for me that I wish to know.
965

BALLIO

He’s coming straight towards me. Where in the world am I to say this fellow comes from?

SIMO

Harkye! you who are standing there with a goat’s beard, answer me this that I ask you.

BALLIO

How now! Don’t you salute me first?

SIMO

(with a surly voice.)

I have no salutations to give away.

BALLIO

Well, troth, you shall get just as much from here then.
969970

PSEUDOLUS

(from behind.)

Well done, at the very beginning.

SIMO

Do you know any person in this lane, I ask you?

BALLIO

I know myself.

SIMO

Few persons do that which you mention; for in the Forum there is hardly every tenth person that knows his own self.

PSEUDOLUS

(from behind.)

I’m all right; he is philosophizing now.

SIMO

I’m looking for a fellow here, a bad one,

a law breaker, an impious, perjured, and dishonest rogue.
975

BALLIO

(aside.)

He’s looking for me, for those are my titles If he would only mention the name. (To SIMMIA.) What’s the name of this person?

SIMO

Ballio, the procurer.

BALLIO

Do I know him? I am the very person, young man, that you are looking for.

SIMO

What, are you Ballio?

BALLIO

I really am he.
979980

SIMO

How you are clothed, a housebreaker

(He takes hold of BALLIO’S cloak.)

BALLIO

I think if you were to see me in the dark, you’d be keeping your hand off.

SIMO

My master bade me present you many greetings. Receive this letter from me; he bade me give you it.

BALLIO

Who’s the person that bade you?

PSEUDOLUS

(from behind.)

I’m undone, now the fellow’s in the middle of the mud.

He doesn’t know the name—this business is at a dead lock.
985

BALLIO

Who do you say sent me this?

SIMO

Observe the seal; do you yourself tell me his name, that I may know that you are Ballio himself.

BALLIO

Give me the letter.

SIMO

Take it, and look at the seal.

(Gives him the letter.)

BALLIO

(looking at it.)

Oho! ’Tis nothing more nor less than Polymachaeroplagides ¹, his own very self; I recognize it. Hallo you, Polymachaeroplagides

is his name!
990

SIMO

I know now that I have rightly given you the letter, since you have mentioned the name of Polymachaeroplagides,

BALLIO

How fares he?

SIMO

By my troth, just as a brave man and a good soldier should. But make haste, I beg, to read this letter through, for it is requisite to do so, and to take this money at once and send out the damsel.

For it’s necessary for me this day to be at Sicyon ², or else to suffer death to-morrow; so peremptory is my master.
995

BALLIO

I know it: you are telling those who know it already.

SIMO

Make haste then to read the letter through.

BALLIO

I’ll do so, if you’ll only hold your tongue. (He reads the letter.) The Captain Polymachaeroplagides sends this letter, written to the procurer Ballio,

sealed with the impression which was formerly agreed upon between us two.³
1000

SIMO

The token’s in the letter

BALLIO

I see the token and I recognize it. But is he in the habit of sending no greeting written in his letter?

SIMO

Such is the military etiquette, Ballio;

with their hand they send health to their well-wishers, and with the same do they send destruction to their evil-wishers. But as you have commenced, go on to ascertain of yourself what this letter says.
1005

BALLIO

Listen then. (Reading on.) Harpax is my camp-servant, who has come to you.

Are you this Harpax?
1010

SIMO

I am, and the real Harpax too ⁴.

BALLIO

(reading on.)

Who brings this letter; I wish the money to be received from him, and the woman to be sent together with him. ’Tis becoming to send greeting to the worthy; had I deemed you worthy, I should have sent it to you.

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Ballio Mínus malum hunc hominem esse opinor quam esse censebam coquom, nam nihil etiam dum harpagavit praeter cyathum et cantharum.

Psevdolvs Heus tu, nunc occasio est et tempus.

Simo Tecum sentio.

Psevdolvs Ingredere in viam dolose: ego hic in insidiis ero.

Simo Habui numerum sedulo: hoc est sextum a porta proxumum 960 angiportum, in id angiportum me devorti iusserat; quotumas aedis dixerit, id ego admodum incerto scio.

Ballio Quis hic homo chlamydatus est aut unde est aut quem quaeritat? peregrina facies videtur hominis atque ignobilis.

Simo Sed eccum qui ex incerto faciet mihi quod quaero certius. 965

Ballio Ad me adit recta. unde ego hominem hunc esse dicam gentium?

Simo Heus tu, qui cum hirquina barba stas, responde quod rogo.

Ballio Eho, an non príus salutas?

Simo Nulla est mihi salus dataria.

Ballio Nam pol hinc tantumdem accipies. 969970

Psevdolvs Iam inde a principio probe.

Simo Ecquem in angiporto hoc hominem tu novisti? te rogo.

Ballio Egomet me.

Simo Pauci istuc faciunt homines quod tu praedicas, nam in foro vix decumus quisque est qui ipsus sese noverit.

Psevdolvs Salvos sum, iam philosophatur.

Simo Hominem ego hic quaero malum, legirupam, impurum, peiurum atque impium. 975

Ballio Me quaeritat, nam illa mea sunt cognomenta; nomen si memoret modo. quid est ei homini nomen?

Simo Leno Ballio.

Ballio Scivin ego? ipse ego is sum, adulescens, quem tu quaeris.

Simo Tune es Ballio?

Ballio Ego enim vero is sum. 979980

Simo Vt vestitu ’ s es, es perfossor parietum.

Ballio Credo, in tenebris, conspicatus si sis me, apstineas manum.

Simo Erus meus tibi me salutem multam voluit dicere. hanc epistulam accipe a me, hanc mé tibi iussit dare.

Ballio Quis is homost qui iussit?

Psevdolvs Perii, nunc homo in medio lutost; nomen nescit, haeret haec res. 985

Ballio Quem hanc misisse ad me autumas?

Simo Nosce imaginem: tute eius nomen memorato mihi, ut sciam te Ballionem esse ipsum.

Ballio Cedo mi epistulam.

Simo Accipe et cognosce signum.

Ballio Oh, Polymachaeroplagides purus putus est ipsus. novi. heus, Polymachaeroplagides nomen est. 990

Simo Scio iám me recte tibi dedisse epistulam, postquam Polymachaeroplagidem elocutus nomen es.

Ballio Quid agit is?

Simo Quod homo edepol fortis atque bellator probus. sed propera hanc pellegere quaeso epistulam (ita negotium est), atque accipere argentum actutum mulieremque emittere. nam necessést hodie Sicyoni me esse aut cras mortem exsequi, 995 ita erus meus est imperiosus.

Ballio Novi, notis praedicas.

Simo Propera pellegere épistulam ergo.

Ballio Id ago, si taceas modo. milés lenoni Ballioni epistulam conscriptam mittit Polymachaeroplagides, imagine obsignatam quae inter nos duo 1000 convenit olim. sumbolust in epistula. video, et cognosco signum. sed in epistula nullam salutem mittere scriptam solet?

Simo Ita militaris disciplinast, Ballio: manu salutem mittunt benevolentibus; 1005 eadém malam rem mittunt malevolentibus. sed, ut occepisti, perge opera experirier quid epistula ista narret.

Ballio Ausculta modo. Harpax calator meus est, ad te qui venit— tun es is Harpax? 1010

Simo Ego sum, atque ipse ἅρπαξ quidem.

Ballio “Qui epistulam istam fert; ab eo argentum accipi, cum eo simitu mulierem mitti volo. salutem scriptam dignum est dignis mittere: te si arbitrarem dignum, misissem tibi.”

Simo Quid nunc? 1015

Ballio Argentum des, abducas mulierem.

Simo Vter remoratur?

Ballio Quin sequere ergo intro.—

Simo Sequor.—

Current edition Perseus

BALLIO I do believe that this fellow is not so bad a cook as I thought he was; for he has clawed off nothing as yet except a cup and a tankard.

PSEUDOLUS (apart to SIMMIA.) Hallo you! now’s your opportunity and your time.

SIMO I agree with you.

PSEUDOLUS Step slily out into the street; I’ll be here in ambush. (SIMMIA steps forward, and then walks along the middle of the street to meet BALLIO.)

SIMO (talking aloud to himself.) I took the number carefully; this is the sixth lane from the city gate; down that lane he bade me turn; how many houses down he told me, that I don’t quite know for certain. 960

BALLIO (eyeing SIMMIA.) Who’s this fellow in the scarf, or whence does he come, or whom is he looking for? The appearance of the fellow seems outlandish and shabby.

SIMO But see, here’s a person, who, from uncertainty, will make the thing more certain for me that I wish to know. 965

BALLIO He’s coming straight towards me. Where in the world am I to say this fellow comes from?

SIMO Harkye! you who are standing there with a goat’s beard, answer me this that I ask you.

BALLIO How now! Don’t you salute me first?

SIMO (with a surly voice.) I have no salutations to give away.

BALLIO Well, troth, you shall get just as much from here then. 969970

PSEUDOLUS (from behind.) Well done, at the very beginning.

SIMO Do you know any person in this lane, I ask you?

BALLIO I know myself.

SIMO Few persons do that which you mention; for in the Forum there is hardly every tenth person that knows his own self.

PSEUDOLUS (from behind.) I’m all right; he is philosophizing now.

SIMO I’m looking for a fellow here, a bad one, a law breaker, an impious, perjured, and dishonest rogue. 975

BALLIO (aside.) He’s looking for me, for those are my titles If he would only mention the name. (To SIMMIA.) What’s the name of this person?

SIMO Ballio, the procurer.

BALLIO Do I know him? I am the very person, young man, that you are looking for.

SIMO What, are you Ballio?

BALLIO I really am he. 979980

SIMO How you are clothed, a housebreaker (He takes hold of BALLIO’S cloak.)

BALLIO I think if you were to see me in the dark, you’d be keeping your hand off.

SIMO My master bade me present you many greetings. Receive this letter from me; he bade me give you it.

BALLIO Who’s the person that bade you?

PSEUDOLUS (from behind.) I’m undone, now the fellow’s in the middle of the mud. He doesn’t know the name—this business is at a dead lock. 985

BALLIO Who do you say sent me this?

Ballio

Mínus malum hunc hominem esse opinor quam esse censebam coquom,

nam nihil etiam dum harpagavit praeter cyathum et cantharum.

Psevdolvs

Heus tu, nunc occasio est et tempus.

Simo

Tecum sentio.

Psevdolvs

Ingredere in viam dolose: ego hic in insidiis ero.

Simo

Habui numerum sedulo: hoc est sextum a porta proxumum
960

angiportum, in id angiportum me devorti iusserat;

quotumas aedis dixerit, id ego admodum incerto scio.

Ballio

Quis hic homo chlamydatus est aut unde est aut quem quaeritat?

peregrina facies videtur hominis atque ignobilis.

Simo

Sed eccum qui ex incerto faciet mihi quod quaero certius.
965

Ballio

Ad me adit recta. unde ego hominem hunc esse dicam gentium?

Simo

Heus tu, qui cum hirquina barba stas, responde quod rogo.

Ballio

Eho, an non príus salutas?

Simo

Nulla est mihi salus dataria.

Ballio

Nam pol hinc tantumdem accipies.
969970

Psevdolvs

Iam inde a principio probe.

Simo

Ecquem in angiporto hoc hominem tu novisti? te rogo.

Ballio

Egomet me.

Simo

Pauci istuc faciunt homines quod tu praedicas,

nam in foro vix decumus quisque est qui ipsus sese noverit.

Psevdolvs

Salvos sum, iam philosophatur.

Simo

Hominem ego hic quaero malum,

legirupam, impurum, peiurum atque impium.
975

Ballio

Me quaeritat,

nam illa mea sunt cognomenta; nomen si memoret modo.

quid est ei homini nomen?

Simo

Leno Ballio.

Ballio

Scivin ego?

ipse ego is sum, adulescens, quem tu quaeris.

Simo

Tune es Ballio?

Ballio

Ego enim vero is sum.
979980

Simo

Vt vestitu ’ s es, es perfossor parietum.

Ballio

Credo, in tenebris, conspicatus si sis me, apstineas manum.

Simo

Erus meus tibi me salutem multam voluit dicere.

hanc epistulam accipe a me, hanc mé tibi iussit dare.

Ballio

Quis is homost qui iussit?

Psevdolvs

Perii, nunc homo in medio lutost;

nomen nescit, haeret haec res.
985

Ballio

Quem hanc misisse ad me autumas?

Simo

Nosce imaginem: tute eius nomen memorato mihi,

ut sciam te Ballionem esse ipsum.

Ballio

Cedo mi epistulam.

Simo

Accipe et cognosce signum.

Ballio

Oh, Polymachaeroplagides

purus putus est ipsus. novi. heus, Polymachaeroplagides

nomen est.
990

Simo

Scio iám me recte tibi dedisse epistulam,

postquam Polymachaeroplagidem elocutus nomen es.

Ballio

Quid agit is?

Simo

Quod homo edepol fortis atque bellator probus.

sed propera hanc pellegere quaeso epistulam (ita negotium est),

atque accipere argentum actutum mulieremque emittere.

nam necessést hodie Sicyoni me esse aut cras mortem exsequi,
995

ita erus meus est imperiosus.

Ballio

Novi, notis praedicas.

Simo

Propera pellegere épistulam ergo.

Ballio

Id ago, si taceas modo.

milés lenoni Ballioni epistulam

conscriptam mittit Polymachaeroplagides,

imagine obsignatam quae inter nos duo
1000

convenit olim. sumbolust in epistula.

video, et cognosco signum. sed in epistula

nullam salutem mittere scriptam solet?

Simo

Ita militaris disciplinast, Ballio:

manu salutem mittunt benevolentibus;
1005

eadém malam rem mittunt malevolentibus.

sed, ut occepisti, perge opera experirier

quid epistula ista narret.

Ballio

Ausculta modo.

Harpax calator meus est, ad te qui venit—

tun es is Harpax?
1010

Simo

Ego sum, atque ipse ἅρπαξ quidem.

Ballio

“Qui epistulam istam fert; ab eo argentum accipi,

cum eo simitu mulierem mitti volo.

salutem scriptam dignum est dignis mittere:

te si arbitrarem dignum, misissem tibi.”

Simo

Quid nunc?
1015

Ballio

Argentum des, abducas mulierem.

Simo

Vter remoratur?

Ballio

Quin sequere ergo intro.—

Simo

Sequor.—

BALLIO

I do believe that this fellow is not so bad a cook as I thought he was; for he has clawed off nothing as yet except a cup and a tankard.

PSEUDOLUS

(apart to SIMMIA.)

Hallo you! now’s your opportunity and your time.

SIMO

I agree with you.

PSEUDOLUS

Step slily out into the street; I’ll be here in ambush.

(SIMMIA steps forward, and then walks along the middle of the street to meet BALLIO.)

SIMO

(talking aloud to himself.)

I took the number carefully; this is the sixth lane from the city gate; down that lane he bade me turn; how many houses down he told me, that I don’t quite know for certain.
960

BALLIO

(eyeing SIMMIA.)

Who’s this fellow in the scarf, or whence does he come, or whom is he looking for? The appearance of the fellow seems outlandish and shabby.

SIMO

But see, here’s a person, who, from uncertainty, will make the thing more certain for me that I wish to know.
965

BALLIO

He’s coming straight towards me. Where in the world am I to say this fellow comes from?

SIMO

Harkye! you who are standing there with a goat’s beard, answer me this that I ask you.

BALLIO

How now! Don’t you salute me first?

SIMO

(with a surly voice.)

I have no salutations to give away.

BALLIO

Well, troth, you shall get just as much from here then.
969970

PSEUDOLUS

(from behind.)

Well done, at the very beginning.

SIMO

Do you know any person in this lane, I ask you?

BALLIO

I know myself.

SIMO

Few persons do that which you mention; for in the Forum there is hardly every tenth person that knows his own self.

PSEUDOLUS

(from behind.)

I’m all right; he is philosophizing now.

SIMO

I’m looking for a fellow here, a bad one,

a law breaker, an impious, perjured, and dishonest rogue.
975

BALLIO

(aside.)

He’s looking for me, for those are my titles If he would only mention the name. (To SIMMIA.) What’s the name of this person?

SIMO

Ballio, the procurer.

BALLIO

Do I know him? I am the very person, young man, that you are looking for.

SIMO

What, are you Ballio?

BALLIO

I really am he.
979980

SIMO

How you are clothed, a housebreaker

(He takes hold of BALLIO’S cloak.)

BALLIO

I think if you were to see me in the dark, you’d be keeping your hand off.

SIMO

My master bade me present you many greetings. Receive this letter from me; he bade me give you it.

BALLIO

Who’s the person that bade you?

PSEUDOLUS

(from behind.)

I’m undone, now the fellow’s in the middle of the mud.

He doesn’t know the name—this business is at a dead lock.
985

BALLIO

Who do you say sent me this?

SIMO

Observe the seal; do you yourself tell me his name, that I may know that you are Ballio himself.

BALLIO

Give me the letter.

SIMO

Take it, and look at the seal.

(Gives him the letter.)