T. Maccius Plautus, Rudens, ed. Friedrich Leo, 3.1

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593

Daemones

Miris modis di ludos faciunt hominibus:

mirisque exemplis somnia in somnis danunt

ne dormientis quidem sinunt quiescere.
595

velut ego hac nocte quae praecessit proxima

mirum atque inscitum somniavi somnium.

ad hirundininum nidum visa est simia

ascensionem ut faceret admolirier

neque eas eripere quibat inde. postibi
600

videtur ad me simia adgredirier,

rogare scalas ut darem utendas sibi.

ego ad hoc exemplum simiae respondeo,

natas ex Philomela † atque ex Progne esse hirundines.

ago cum ílla, ne quid noceat meis popularibus.
605

atque illa ánimo iam fieri ferocior;

videtur ultro mihi malum minitarier.

in ius vocat med. ibi ego nescio quo modo

iratus videor mediam arripere simiam;

concludo in vincla bestiam nequissimam.
610

nunc quam ad rem dicam hoc attinere somnium,

numquam hodie quivi ad coniecturam evadere.

sed quid hic in Veneris fano meae viciniae

clamoris oritur? animus mirat ur meus.

Rudens. T. Maccius Plautus. ed. Friedrich Leo. Berlin. 1896.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (1)

Rudens, or The Fisherman's Rope Perseus (Plautus. The Comedies of Plautus, Volume 2. Riley, Henry Thomas, translator. London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1913.) — 3.1 focus

593 (Enter DAEMONES, from his house.)

DAEMONES

(to himnself.)

In wondrous ways¹ do the Gods make sport of men, in wondrous fashions do they send dreams in sleep.

Not the sleeping, even, do they allow to rest. As, for example, I, this last night which has gone by, dreamed a wonderful and a curious dream. A she-ape seemed to be endeavouring to climb up to a swallow’s nest;
595

and she was not able thence to take them out. After that, the ape seemed to come to me to beg me to lend a ladder to her. I in these terms gave answer to the ape, that swallows are the descendants of Philomela² and of Progne.
600

I expostulated with her, that she might not hurt those of my country. But then she began to be much more violent, and seemed gratuitously to be threatening me with vengeance. She summoned me to a court of justice. Then, in my anger, I seemed to seize hold of the ape by the middle, in what fashion I know not;
605

and I fastened up with chains this most worthless beast. Now to what purpose I shall say that this dream tends, never have I this day been able to come to any conclusion. (A loud noise is heard in the Temple.) But what’s this noise that arises in this Temple of Venus, my neighbour? My mind’s in wonder about it.
610

T. Maccius Plautus Rudens 3.1

ed. Friedrich Leo

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