T. Maccius Plautus, Rudens, ed. Friedrich Leo, 3.3

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Line

← Previous Next →

664

Palaestra

Núnc id est cum ómnium cópiarum átque opum,

aúxili, praésidi víduitas nós tenet.
665

núlla nunc spéculast quaé salutem áfferat,

néc quam in partem íngredi pérsequamur

scímus: tanto ín metu núnc sumus ambae,

tánta importúnitas tántaque iniúria

fácta in nos ést modo hic íntus ab nóstro ero,
670

quí scelestús sacerdótem anum praécipes

réppulit própulit pérquam indignís modis

nósque ab signo íntimo ví deripuít sua.

séd nunc sese út ferunt rés fortunaéque nostrae,

pár moriri ést. neque est mélius morte ín malis,
675

rébus miserís.

Trachalio

Quid est? quae íllaec orátiost?

césso ego has cónsolari? heús, Palaestra!

Palaestra

Quí vocat?

Trachalio

Ámpelisca.

Ampelisca

Óbsecro, quis est qui vocat?

Palaestra

Quís is est qui nóminat?

Trachalio

Sí respexís, scies.

Palaestra

Ó salutís meae spés.
680

Trachalio

Tace ac bóno animo es.

mé vide.

Palaestra

Sí modo id líceat, vis ne ópprimat,

quaé vis vim mi áfferam ipsa ádigit.

Trachalio

Ah, désine, nímis inepta es.

Palaestra

Desíste dictis núnciam miserám me consolári;

nisi quid re praesidium apparas, Trachalio, acta haec res est.

Ampelisca

Certumst moriri quam hunc pati saevire lenonem in me.

sed muliebri animo sum tamen: miserae quom venit in mentem
685

mihi mortis, metus membra occupat. edepol hunc acerbum.

Trachalio

Bonum animum habete.

Palaestra

Nam, obsecro, unde ánimus mi invenitur?

Trachalio

Ne, inquam, timete; adsidite hic in ara.

Ampelisca

Quid istaec ara

prodesse nobis plus potest quam signum in fano hic intus

Veneris, quod amplexae modo, unde abreptae per vim miserae?
690

Trachalio

Sedete hic modo, ego hinc vós tamen tutabor. aram habete hanc

vobis pro castris, moenia hinc égo vos defensabo;

praesidio Veneris malitiae lenonis contra incedam.

Palaestra

Tibi auscultamus et, Venús alma, ambae te obsecramus,

aram amplexantes hanc tuam lacrumantes, genibus nixae,
695

in custodelam nos tuam ut recipias et tutere;

illos scelestos, qui tuom fecerunt fanum parvi,

fac ut ulciscare nosque ut hanc tua páce aram obsidere

patiare: elautae ambae sumus opera Neptuni noctu,

ne invisas habeas neve idcirco nobis vitio vortas,
700

si quippiamst, minus quód bene esse lautum tu arbitrare.

Trachalio

Venus, aequom has petere intellego: decet abs te id impetrari;

ignoscere his te convenit: metus has id ut fáciant subigit.

te ex concha natam esse autumant, cave tu hárum conchas spernas.

sed optume eccum exit senex, patronus mihique et vobis.
705

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.) — 3.3 focus

664 (Enter PALAESTRA and AMPELISCA, in haste, from the Temple, with dishevelled locks.)

PALAESTRA

Now is that time arrived when destitution of all resources and aid,

succour and defence, overtakes us. Neither hope nor means is there to bring us aid, nor know we in what direction we should commence to proceed. In exceeding terror now are we both, in this our wretchedness. Such cruelty and such outrage
665

have been committed towards us just now in-doors here by our master, who, in his villany, pushed down the old lady, the Priestess, headlong, and struck her in a very disgraceful manner, and with his violence tore us away from the inner side¹ of the statue. But as our lot and fortunes are now showing themselves,
670

’twere best to die, nor in our miseries is there anything better than death.
675

TRACHALIO

(behind.)

What’s this? Whose words are those? Why do I delay to console them? (Aloud.) Harkye, Palaestra,

Ampelisca, harkye!

PALAESTRA

Prithee, who is it that calls us?

AMPELISCA

Who is it that calls me by name?

TRACHALIO

If you turn round and look, you’ll know.

PALAESTRA

(turning round.)

O hope of my safety!
680

TRACHALIO

Be silent and of good courage; trust me².

PALAESTRA

If only it can be so, let not violence overwhelm us.

TRACHALIO

What violence?

PALAESTRA

That same which is driving me to commit violence on myself.

TRACHALIO

Oh, do leave off; you are very silly.

PALAESTRA

Then do you leave off at once your consoling me in my misery with words.

AMPELISCA

Unless you afford us protection in reality³, Trachalio, it’s all over with us.

PALAESTRA

I’m resolved to die sooner than suffer this Procurer to get me in his power. But still I am of woman’s heart; when, in my misery, death comes into my mind, fear takes possession of my limbs.⁴

TRACHALIO

By my troth, although this is a bitter affliction,

do have a good heart.

PALAESTRA

Why where, pray, is a good heart to be found for me?

TRACHALIO

Don’t you fear, I tell you; sit you down here by the altar.

(Points to it.)

AMPELISCA

What can this altar possibly avail us more than the statue here within the Temple

of Venus, from which just now, embracing it, in our wretchedness, we were torn by force?
690

TRACHALIO

Only you be seated here; then I’ll protect you in this spot. This altar you possess as though your bulwarks⁵; these your fortifications; from this spot will I defend you. With the aid of Venus, I’ll march against the wickedness of the Procurer.

PALAESTRA

We follow your instructions (they advance to the altar and kneel); and genial Venus, we both of us, in tears, implore thee,

embracing this thy altar, bending upon our knees, that thou wilt receive us into thy guardianship, and be our protector; that thou wilt punish those wretches who have set at nought thy Temple, and that thou wilt suffer us to occupy this thy altar with thy permission, we who last night were by the might of Neptune cast away;
695

hold us not in scorn, and do not for that reason impute it to us as a fault, if there is anything that thou shouldst think is not so well attended to⁶ by us as it ought to have been.
700

TRACHALIO

I think they ask what’s just; it ought, Venus, by thee to be granted. Thou oughtst to pardon them; ’tis terror forces them to do this. They say that thou wast born from a shell⁷; take thou care that thou dost not despise the shells of these.

But see, most opportunely the old gentleman is coming out, both my protector and your own.
705
(He goes to the altar.)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Trachalio Quid est? quae íllaec orátiost? césso ego has cónsolari? heús, Palaestra!

Palaestra Quí vocat?

Trachalio Ámpelisca.

Ampelisca Óbsecro, quis est qui vocat?

Palaestra Quís is est qui nóminat?

Trachalio Sí respexís, scies.

Palaestra Ó salutís meae spés. 680

Trachalio Tace ac bóno animo es. mé vide.

Palaestra Sí modo id líceat, vis ne ópprimat, quaé vis vim mi áfferam ipsa ádigit.

Trachalio Ah, désine, nímis inepta es.

Palaestra Desíste dictis núnciam miserám me consolári; nisi quid re praesidium apparas, Trachalio, acta haec res est.

Ampelisca Certumst moriri quam hunc pati saevire lenonem in me. sed muliebri animo sum tamen: miserae quom venit in mentem 685 mihi mortis, metus membra occupat. edepol hunc acerbum.

Trachalio Bonum animum habete.

Palaestra Nam, obsecro, unde ánimus mi invenitur?

Trachalio Ne, inquam, timete; adsidite hic in ara.

Ampelisca Quid istaec ara prodesse nobis plus potest quam signum in fano hic intus Veneris, quod amplexae modo, unde abreptae per vim miserae? 690

Trachalio Sedete hic modo, ego hinc vós tamen tutabor. aram habete hanc vobis pro castris, moenia hinc égo vos defensabo; praesidio Veneris malitiae lenonis contra incedam.

Trachalio Venus, aequom has petere intellego: decet abs te id impetrari; ignoscere his te convenit: metus has id ut fáciant subigit. te ex concha natam esse autumant, cave tu hárum conchas spernas. sed optume eccum exit senex, patronus mihique et vobis. 705

Current edition Perseus

TRACHALIO (behind.) What’s this? Whose words are those? Why do I delay to console them? (Aloud.) Harkye, Palaestra, Ampelisca, harkye!

PALAESTRA Prithee, who is it that calls us?

AMPELISCA Who is it that calls me by name?

TRACHALIO If you turn round and look, you’ll know.

PALAESTRA (turning round.) O hope of my safety! 680

TRACHALIO Be silent and of good courage; trust me 2 .

PALAESTRA If only it can be so, let not violence overwhelm us.

TRACHALIO What violence?

PALAESTRA That same which is driving me to commit violence on myself.

TRACHALIO Oh, do leave off; you are very silly.

PALAESTRA Then do you leave off at once your consoling me in my misery with words.

AMPELISCA Unless you afford us protection in reality 3 , Trachalio, it’s all over with us.

PALAESTRA I’m resolved to die sooner than suffer this Procurer to get me in his power. But still I am of woman’s heart; when, in my misery, death comes into my mind, fear takes possession of my limbs. 4

TRACHALIO By my troth, although this is a bitter affliction, do have a good heart.

PALAESTRA Why where, pray, is a good heart to be found for me?

TRACHALIO Don’t you fear, I tell you; sit you down here by the altar. (Points to it.)

AMPELISCA What can this altar possibly avail us more than the statue here within the Temple of Venus, from which just now, embracing it, in our wretchedness, we were torn by force? 690

TRACHALIO Only you be seated here; then I’ll protect you in this spot. This altar you possess as though your bulwarks 5 ; these your fortifications; from this spot will I defend you. With the aid of Venus, I’ll march against the wickedness of the Procurer.

Stable identifiers

Trachalio

Quid est? quae íllaec orátiost?

césso ego has cónsolari? heús, Palaestra!

Palaestra

Quí vocat?

Trachalio

Ámpelisca.

Ampelisca

Óbsecro, quis est qui vocat?

Palaestra

Quís is est qui nóminat?

Trachalio

Sí respexís, scies.

Palaestra

Ó salutís meae spés.
680

Trachalio

Tace ac bóno animo es.

mé vide.

Palaestra

Sí modo id líceat, vis ne ópprimat,

quaé vis vim mi áfferam ipsa ádigit.

Trachalio

Ah, désine, nímis inepta es.

Palaestra

Desíste dictis núnciam miserám me consolári;

nisi quid re praesidium apparas, Trachalio, acta haec res est.

Ampelisca

Certumst moriri quam hunc pati saevire lenonem in me.

sed muliebri animo sum tamen: miserae quom venit in mentem
685

mihi mortis, metus membra occupat. edepol hunc acerbum.

Trachalio

Bonum animum habete.

Palaestra

Nam, obsecro, unde ánimus mi invenitur?

Trachalio

Ne, inquam, timete; adsidite hic in ara.

Ampelisca

Quid istaec ara

prodesse nobis plus potest quam signum in fano hic intus

Veneris, quod amplexae modo, unde abreptae per vim miserae?
690

Trachalio

Sedete hic modo, ego hinc vós tamen tutabor. aram habete hanc

vobis pro castris, moenia hinc égo vos defensabo;

praesidio Veneris malitiae lenonis contra incedam.

Trachalio

Venus, aequom has petere intellego: decet abs te id impetrari;

ignoscere his te convenit: metus has id ut fáciant subigit.

te ex concha natam esse autumant, cave tu hárum conchas spernas.

sed optume eccum exit senex, patronus mihique et vobis.
705

TRACHALIO

(behind.)

What’s this? Whose words are those? Why do I delay to console them? (Aloud.) Harkye, Palaestra,

Ampelisca, harkye!

PALAESTRA

Prithee, who is it that calls us?

AMPELISCA

Who is it that calls me by name?

TRACHALIO

If you turn round and look, you’ll know.

PALAESTRA

(turning round.)

O hope of my safety!
680

TRACHALIO

Be silent and of good courage; trust me².

PALAESTRA

If only it can be so, let not violence overwhelm us.

TRACHALIO

What violence?

PALAESTRA

That same which is driving me to commit violence on myself.

TRACHALIO

Oh, do leave off; you are very silly.

PALAESTRA

Then do you leave off at once your consoling me in my misery with words.

AMPELISCA

Unless you afford us protection in reality³, Trachalio, it’s all over with us.

PALAESTRA

I’m resolved to die sooner than suffer this Procurer to get me in his power. But still I am of woman’s heart; when, in my misery, death comes into my mind, fear takes possession of my limbs.⁴

TRACHALIO

By my troth, although this is a bitter affliction,

do have a good heart.

PALAESTRA

Why where, pray, is a good heart to be found for me?

TRACHALIO

Don’t you fear, I tell you; sit you down here by the altar.

(Points to it.)

AMPELISCA

What can this altar possibly avail us more than the statue here within the Temple

of Venus, from which just now, embracing it, in our wretchedness, we were torn by force?
690

TRACHALIO

Only you be seated here; then I’ll protect you in this spot. This altar you possess as though your bulwarks⁵; these your fortifications; from this spot will I defend you. With the aid of Venus, I’ll march against the wickedness of the Procurer.