Publius Terentius Afer (Terence), Eunuchus, ed. Edward St. John Parry, 3.5

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548 (CHAEREA. ANTIPHO.)

CHAEREA

Numquis hic est? nemo est: numquis hinc me sequitur? nemo homo est.

Iamne erumpere hoc licet mihi gaudium? pro Iupiter!

Nunc est profecto interfici cum perpeti me possum,
550

Ne hoc gaudium contaminet vita aegritudine aliqua.

Sed neminemne curiosum intervenire nunc mihi,

Qui me sequatur, quoquo eam; rogitando obtundat, enecet;

Quid gestiam, aut quid laetus sim; quo pergam, unde emergam; ubi siem

Testitum hunc nactus; quid mihi quaeram; sanus sim, anne insaniam?
555

ANTIPHO

Adibo, atque ab eo gratiam hanc quam video velle inibo.

Chaerea, quid est quod sic gestis? quid sibi hic vestitus quaerit?

Quid est quod laetus sis? quid tibi vis? satin sanus? quid me adspectas?

Quid taces?

CHAEREA

O festus dies hominis! amice salve.

Nemo est hominum, quem ego nunc magis cuperem videre quam te.
560

ANTIPHO

Narra istuc quaeso quid siet.

CHAEREA

Immo ego te obsecro hercle ut audias.

Nostine hanc, quam amat frater?

ANTIPHO

Novi, nempe opinor Thaidem.

CHAEREA

Istam ipsam.

ANTIPHO

Sic commemineram.

CHAEREA

Quaedam hodie est ei dono data

Virgo. Quid ego eius tibi nunc faciem praedicem aut laudem Antipho,

Cum ipsum me noris quam elegans formarum spectator siem?
565

In hac commotus sum.

ANTIPHO

Ain tu?

CHAEREA

Primam dices, scio, si videris.

Quid multa verba? amare coepi. Forte fortuna domi

Erat quidam eunuchus quem mercatus fuerat frater Thaidi,

Neque is deductus etiamdum ad eam. Summonuit me Parmeno

Ibi servus quod ego arripui.
570

ANTIPHO

Quid id est?

CHAEREA

Tacitus citius audies.

Ut vestem cum eo mutem, et pro illo iubeam me illuc deducier.

ANTIPHO

Pro eunuchon?

CHAEREA

Sic est.

ANTIPHO

Quid ex ea re tandem ut caperes commodi?

CHAEREA

Rogas? viderem, audirem, essem una quacum cupiebam Antipho.

Num parva causa aut parva ratio est? traditus sum mulieri.

Illa ilico ubi me accepit laeta vero ad se abducit domum:
575

Commendat virginem.

ANTIPHO

Cui? tibine?

CHAEREA

Mihi.

ANTIPHO

Satis tuto tamen.

CHAEREA

Edicit ne vir quisquam ad eam adeat; et mihi ne abscedam imperat,

In interiore parte ut maneam solus cum sola: annuo,

Terram intuens modeste.

ANTIPHO

Miser!

CHAEREA

Ego, inquit, ad coenam hine eo.

Abducit secum ancillas: paucae quae circum illam essent manent
580

Novitiae puellae: continuo haec adornant ut lavet.

Adhortor properent: dum apparatur, virgo in conclavi sedet,

Suspectans tabulam quandam pictam, ubi inerat pictura haec:

Quo pacto Danaae misisse aiunt quondam in gremium imbirem aureum.

Egomet quoque id spectare coepi; et, quia consimilem luserat
585

Iam olim ille ludum, impendio magis animus gaudebat mihi;

Deum sese in hominem convertisse, atque in alienas tegulas

Venisse clanculum per impluvium, fucum factum mulieri.

At quem Deum? qui templa coeli summa sonitu concutit.

Ego homuncio hoc non facerem? ego illud vero ita feci ac lubens.
590

Dum haec mecum reputo, arcessitur lavatum interea virgo:

It, lavit, rediit: deinde eam in lectum illae collocant.

Sto exspectans si quid mihi imperent. Venit una; Heus tu, inquit, Dore

Cape hoc flabellum et ventulum huic sic facito, dum lavamus:

Ubi nos laverimus si voles lavato. Accipio tristis.
595

ANTIPHO

Tum equidem istuc os tuum impudens videre nimium vellem;

Qui esset status, flabellum tenere te asinum tantum.

CHAEREA

Vix elocuta est hoc, foras simul omnes proruunt se:

Abeunt lavatum: perstrepunt, ita ut fit domini ubi absunt.

Interea somnus virginem opprimit; ego limis specto
600

Sic per flabellum clanculum; simul alia circumspecto

Satin explorata sint. Video esse; pessulum ostio obdo.

ANTIPHO

Quid tum?

CHAEREA

Quid? quid tum? fatue.

ANTIPHO

Fateor.

CHAEREA

An ego occasionem

Mihi ostentam tantam, tam brevem, tam optatam, tam insperatam.

Amitterem? tum pol ego is essem vere qui simulabar.
605

ANTIPHO

Sane hercle ut dicis: sed interim de symbolis quid actum est?

CHAEREA

Paratum est.

ANTIPHO

Frugi es. Ubi? domino?

CHAEREA

Immo apud libortum Discumn.

ANTIPHO

Perlonge est: sed tanto ocius properenus; muta vestem.

CHAEREA

Ubi mutem? perii; nam domo exulo nunc: metuo fratrem

Ne intus sit; porro autem pater ne rure redierit iam.
610

ANTIPHO

Eamus ad me: ibi proximum est ubi mutes.

CHAEREA

Recte dicis

Eamus; et de istac simul, quo pacto porro possim

Potiri, consilium volo capere una tecum.

ANTIPHO

Fiat.

Eunuchus. Publius Terentius Afer (Terence). ed. Edward St. John Parry. London. 1857.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by NSF, NEH: Digital Libraries Initiative, Phase 2.

Current edition Perseus

Eunuchus (Terence. Publii Terentii Comoediae Sex. Parry, Edward St. John, editor. London: Whittaker and Co.; George Bell, 1857.)

Translations (1)

Eunuchus; or, The Eunuch Perseus (Terence. The Comedies of Terence. Riley, Henry Thomas; Colman, George, translators. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1872.) — 3.5 focus

548 (Enter CHAEREA from the house of Thais, in the EUNUCH’s dress.)

CHAEREA

(looking around, then aloud to himself.)

Is there any body here? There’s no one. Is there any one following me from there? There’s not a person. Now am I not at liberty to give vent to these raptures? O supreme Jupiter!

now assuredly is the time for me to meet my death,¹ when I can so well endure it; lest my life should sully this ecstasy with some disaster. But is there now no inquisitive person to be intruding upon me, to be following me wherever I do, to be deafening me, worrying me to death, with asking questions; why thus transported, or why so overjoyed, whither I’m going, whence I’m come, where
550

I got this garb, what is my object, whether I’m in my senses or whether downright mad?
555

ANTIPHO

(apart.)

I’ll accost him, and I’ll do him the favor which I see he’s wishing for. (Accosting him.) Chaerea, why are you thus transported? What’s the object of this garb? Why is it that you’re so overjoyed? What is the meaning of this? Are you quite right in your senses? Why do you stare at me? What have you to say?

CHAEREA

O joyous day! O welcome, my friend!

There’s not one in all the world whom I would rather wish to see at this moment that yourself.
560

ANTIPHO

Pray, do tell me what all this means.

CHAEREA

Nay rather, i’faith, I beg of you to listen to me. Do you know the mistress whom my brother is so fond of?

ANTIPHO

I know her; I suppose you mean Thais?

CHAEREA

The very same.

ANTIPHO

So far I recollect.

CHAEREA

To-day a certain damsel was presented to her. Why now should I extol or commend her beauty to you, Antipho,

since you yourself know how nice a judge of beauty I am? I have been smitten by her.
565

ANTIPHO

Do you say so?

CHAEREA

If you saw her, I am sure you would say she’s exquisite. What need of many words? I fell in love with her. By good luck there was at our house a certain Eunuch, whom my brother had purchased for Thais, and he had not as yet been sent to her. On this occasion, Parmeno,

our servant, made a suggestion to me, which I adopted.
570

ANTIPHO

What was it?

CHAEREA

Be quiet, and you shall hear the sooner; to change clothes with him, and order myself to be taken there in his stead.

ANTIPHO

What, instead of the Eunuch?

CHAEREA

The fact.

ANTIPHO

To receive what advantage, pray, from this plan?

CHAEREA

Do you ask? That I might see, hear, and be in company with her whom I loved, Antipho. Is that a slight motive, or a poor reason? I was presented to the woman.

She, as soon as she received me, joyfully took me home to her house and intrusted the damsel—
575

ANTIPHO

To whom? To you?

CHAEREA

To me.

ANTIPHO

(ironically.)

In perfect safety, at all events.

CHAEREA

She gave orders that no male was to come near her, and commanded me not to stir away from her; that I was to remain alone with her in the inner apartments.² Looking bashfully on the ground, I nodded assent.

ANTIPHO

(ironically.)

Poor fellow!

CHAEREA

(continuing.)

I am going out, said she, to dinner.

She took her maids with her; a few novices of girls³ remained, to be about her. These immediately made preparations for her to bathe. I urged them to make haste. While preparations were being made, the damsel sat in a room looking up at a certain painting,⁴ in which was represented how Jove⁵ is said once to have sent a golden shower into the bosom of Danaë.
580

I myself began to look at it as well, and as he had in former times played the like game, I felt extremely delighted that a God should change himself into money, and slily come through the tiles of another person’s house, to deceive the fair one by means of a shower. But what God was this? He who shakes the most lofty temples of heaven with his thunders.
585

Was I, a poor creature of a mortal,⁶ not to do the same? Certainly, I was to do it, and without hesitation. While I was thinking over these matters with myself, the damsel meantime was fetched away to bathe; she went, bathed, and came back; after which they laid her on a couch. I stood waiting to see if they gave me any orders. One came up, Here, Dorus, said she, take this fan,⁷ and let her have a little air in this fashion, while we are bathing;
590

when we have bathed, if you like, you may bathe too. With a demure air I took it.
595

ANTIPHO

Really, I should very much have liked to see that impudent face of yours just then, and what figure a great donkey like you made, holding a fan!

CHAEREA

(continuing.)

Hardly had she said this, when all, in a moment, betook themselves off: away they went to bathe, and chattered aloud;⁸ just as the way is when masters are absent.

Meanwhile, sleep overtook the damsel; I slily looked askance⁹ through the fan;¹⁰ this way (showing how): at the same time I looked round in all directions, to see whether all was quite safe. I saw that it was. I bolted the door.
600

ANTIPHO

What then?

CHAEREA

Eh? What then, you simpleton?

ANTIPHO

I own I am.

CHAEREA

Was I to let slip the opportunity offered me, so excellent, so short-lived,¹¹ so longed for, so unexpected.

In that case, i’faith, I really should have been the person I was pretending to be.
605

ANTIPHO

Troth, you certainly are in the right; but, meantime, what has been arranged about the club-entertainment?

CHAEREA

All’s ready.

ANTIPHO

You are a clever hand; but where? At your house?

CHAEREA

No, at Discus’s, our freedman.

ANTIPHO

That’s a long way off.

CHAEREA

Then let’s make so much the greater haste.¹²

ANTIPHO

Change your dress.¹³

CHAEREA

Where am I to change it? I’m at a loss; for at present I’m an exile from home; I’m afraid of my brother,

lest he should be in-doors: and then again of my father, lest he should have returned from the country by this.
610

ANTIPHO

Let’s go to my house; there is the nearest place for you to change.

CHAEREA

You say right. Let’s be off; besides, I want to take counsel with you about this girl, by what means I may be able to secure the future possession of her.

ANTIPHO

Very well.

(Exeunt.)

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ANTIPHO Adibo, atque ab eo gratiam hanc quam video velle inibo. Chaerea, quid est quod sic gestis? quid sibi hic vestitus quaerit? Quid est quod laetus sis? quid tibi vis? satin sanus? quid me adspectas? Quid taces?

CHAEREA O festus dies hominis! amice salve. Nemo est hominum, quem ego nunc magis cuperem videre quam te. 560

ANTIPHO Narra istuc quaeso quid siet.

CHAEREA Immo ego te obsecro hercle ut audias. Nostine hanc, quam amat frater?

ANTIPHO Novi, nempe opinor Thaidem.

CHAEREA Istam ipsam.

ANTIPHO Sic commemineram.

CHAEREA Quaedam hodie est ei dono data Virgo. Quid ego eius tibi nunc faciem praedicem aut laudem Antipho, Cum ipsum me noris quam elegans formarum spectator siem? 565 In hac commotus sum.

ANTIPHO Ain tu?

CHAEREA Primam dices, scio, si videris. Quid multa verba? amare coepi. Forte fortuna domi Erat quidam eunuchus quem mercatus fuerat frater Thaidi, Neque is deductus etiamdum ad eam. Summonuit me Parmeno Ibi servus quod ego arripui. 570

ANTIPHO Quid id est?

CHAEREA Tacitus citius audies. Ut vestem cum eo mutem, et pro illo iubeam me illuc deducier.

ANTIPHO Pro eunuchon?

CHAEREA Sic est.

ANTIPHO Quid ex ea re tandem ut caperes commodi?

CHAEREA Rogas? viderem, audirem, essem una quacum cupiebam Antipho. Num parva causa aut parva ratio est? traditus sum mulieri. Illa ilico ubi me accepit laeta vero ad se abducit domum: 575 Commendat virginem.

ANTIPHO Cui? tibine?

CHAEREA Mihi.

ANTIPHO Satis tuto tamen.

CHAEREA Edicit ne vir quisquam ad eam adeat; et mihi ne abscedam imperat, In interiore parte ut maneam solus cum sola: annuo, Terram intuens modeste.

ANTIPHO Miser!

ANTIPHO Tum equidem istuc os tuum impudens videre nimium vellem; Qui esset status, flabellum tenere te asinum tantum.

CHAEREA Vix elocuta est hoc, foras simul omnes proruunt se: Abeunt lavatum: perstrepunt, ita ut fit domini ubi absunt. Interea somnus virginem opprimit; ego limis specto 600 Sic per flabellum clanculum; simul alia circumspecto Satin explorata sint. Video esse; pessulum ostio obdo.

ANTIPHO Quid tum?

CHAEREA Quid? quid tum? fatue.

ANTIPHO Fateor.

CHAEREA An ego occasionem Mihi ostentam tantam, tam brevem, tam optatam, tam insperatam. Amitterem? tum pol ego is essem vere qui simulabar. 605

ANTIPHO Sane hercle ut dicis: sed interim de symbolis quid actum est?

CHAEREA Paratum est.

ANTIPHO Frugi es. Ubi? domino?

CHAEREA Immo apud libortum Discumn.

ANTIPHO Perlonge est: sed tanto ocius properenus; muta vestem.

CHAEREA Ubi mutem? perii; nam domo exulo nunc: metuo fratrem Ne intus sit; porro autem pater ne rure redierit iam. 610

ANTIPHO Eamus ad me: ibi proximum est ubi mutes.

CHAEREA Recte dicis Eamus; et de istac simul, quo pacto porro possim Potiri, consilium volo capere una tecum.

ANTIPHO Fiat.

Current edition Perseus

CHAEREA O joyous day! O welcome, my friend! There’s not one in all the world whom I would rather wish to see at this moment that yourself. 560

ANTIPHO Pray, do tell me what all this means.

CHAEREA Nay rather, i’faith, I beg of you to listen to me. Do you know the mistress whom my brother is so fond of?

ANTIPHO I know her; I suppose you mean Thais?

CHAEREA The very same.

ANTIPHO So far I recollect.

CHAEREA To-day a certain damsel was presented to her. Why now should I extol or commend her beauty to you, Antipho, since you yourself know how nice a judge of beauty I am? I have been smitten by her. 565

ANTIPHO Do you say so?

ANTIPHO What was it?

CHAEREA Be quiet, and you shall hear the sooner; to change clothes with him, and order myself to be taken there in his stead.

ANTIPHO What, instead of the Eunuch?

CHAEREA The fact.

ANTIPHO To receive what advantage, pray, from this plan?

CHAEREA Do you ask? That I might see, hear, and be in company with her whom I loved, Antipho. Is that a slight motive, or a poor reason? I was presented to the woman. She, as soon as she received me, joyfully took me home to her house and intrusted the damsel— 575

ANTIPHO To whom? To you?

CHAEREA To me.

ANTIPHO (ironically.) In perfect safety, at all events.

CHAEREA She gave orders that no male was to come near her, and commanded me not to stir away from her; that I was to remain alone with her in the inner apartments. 2 Looking bashfully on the ground, I nodded assent.

ANTIPHO (ironically.) Poor fellow!

ANTIPHO Really, I should very much have liked to see that impudent face of yours just then, and what figure a great donkey like you made, holding a fan!

ANTIPHO What then?

CHAEREA Eh? What then, you simpleton?

ANTIPHO I own I am.

CHAEREA Was I to let slip the opportunity offered me, so excellent, so short-lived, 11 so longed for, so unexpected. In that case, i’faith, I really should have been the person I was pretending to be. 605

ANTIPHO Troth, you certainly are in the right; but, meantime, what has been arranged about the club-entertainment?

CHAEREA All’s ready.

ANTIPHO You are a clever hand; but where? At your house?

CHAEREA No, at Discus’s, our freedman.

ANTIPHO That’s a long way off.

CHAEREA Then let’s make so much the greater haste. 12

ANTIPHO Change your dress. 13

CHAEREA Where am I to change it? I’m at a loss; for at present I’m an exile from home; I’m afraid of my brother, lest he should be in-doors: and then again of my father, lest he should have returned from the country by this. 610

ANTIPHO Let’s go to my house; there is the nearest place for you to change.

CHAEREA You say right. Let’s be off; besides, I want to take counsel with you about this girl, by what means I may be able to secure the future possession of her.

ANTIPHO Very well. (Exeunt.)

Stable identifiers

ANTIPHO

Adibo, atque ab eo gratiam hanc quam video velle inibo.

Chaerea, quid est quod sic gestis? quid sibi hic vestitus quaerit?

Quid est quod laetus sis? quid tibi vis? satin sanus? quid me adspectas?

Quid taces?

CHAEREA

O festus dies hominis! amice salve.

Nemo est hominum, quem ego nunc magis cuperem videre quam te.
560

ANTIPHO

Narra istuc quaeso quid siet.

CHAEREA

Immo ego te obsecro hercle ut audias.

Nostine hanc, quam amat frater?

ANTIPHO

Novi, nempe opinor Thaidem.

CHAEREA

Istam ipsam.

ANTIPHO

Sic commemineram.

CHAEREA

Quaedam hodie est ei dono data

Virgo. Quid ego eius tibi nunc faciem praedicem aut laudem Antipho,

Cum ipsum me noris quam elegans formarum spectator siem?
565

In hac commotus sum.

ANTIPHO

Ain tu?

CHAEREA

Primam dices, scio, si videris.

Quid multa verba? amare coepi. Forte fortuna domi

Erat quidam eunuchus quem mercatus fuerat frater Thaidi,

Neque is deductus etiamdum ad eam. Summonuit me Parmeno

Ibi servus quod ego arripui.
570

ANTIPHO

Quid id est?

CHAEREA

Tacitus citius audies.

Ut vestem cum eo mutem, et pro illo iubeam me illuc deducier.

ANTIPHO

Pro eunuchon?

CHAEREA

Sic est.

ANTIPHO

Quid ex ea re tandem ut caperes commodi?

CHAEREA

Rogas? viderem, audirem, essem una quacum cupiebam Antipho.

Num parva causa aut parva ratio est? traditus sum mulieri.

Illa ilico ubi me accepit laeta vero ad se abducit domum:
575

Commendat virginem.

ANTIPHO

Cui? tibine?

CHAEREA

Mihi.

ANTIPHO

Satis tuto tamen.

CHAEREA

Edicit ne vir quisquam ad eam adeat; et mihi ne abscedam imperat,

In interiore parte ut maneam solus cum sola: annuo,

Terram intuens modeste.

ANTIPHO

Miser!

ANTIPHO

Tum equidem istuc os tuum impudens videre nimium vellem;

Qui esset status, flabellum tenere te asinum tantum.

CHAEREA

Vix elocuta est hoc, foras simul omnes proruunt se:

Abeunt lavatum: perstrepunt, ita ut fit domini ubi absunt.

Interea somnus virginem opprimit; ego limis specto
600

Sic per flabellum clanculum; simul alia circumspecto

Satin explorata sint. Video esse; pessulum ostio obdo.

ANTIPHO

Quid tum?

CHAEREA

Quid? quid tum? fatue.

ANTIPHO

Fateor.

CHAEREA

An ego occasionem

Mihi ostentam tantam, tam brevem, tam optatam, tam insperatam.

Amitterem? tum pol ego is essem vere qui simulabar.
605

ANTIPHO

Sane hercle ut dicis: sed interim de symbolis quid actum est?

CHAEREA

Paratum est.

ANTIPHO

Frugi es. Ubi? domino?

CHAEREA

Immo apud libortum Discumn.

ANTIPHO

Perlonge est: sed tanto ocius properenus; muta vestem.

CHAEREA

Ubi mutem? perii; nam domo exulo nunc: metuo fratrem

Ne intus sit; porro autem pater ne rure redierit iam.
610

ANTIPHO

Eamus ad me: ibi proximum est ubi mutes.

CHAEREA

Recte dicis

Eamus; et de istac simul, quo pacto porro possim

Potiri, consilium volo capere una tecum.

ANTIPHO

Fiat.

CHAEREA

O joyous day! O welcome, my friend!

There’s not one in all the world whom I would rather wish to see at this moment that yourself.
560

ANTIPHO

Pray, do tell me what all this means.

CHAEREA

Nay rather, i’faith, I beg of you to listen to me. Do you know the mistress whom my brother is so fond of?

ANTIPHO

I know her; I suppose you mean Thais?

CHAEREA

The very same.

ANTIPHO

So far I recollect.

CHAEREA

To-day a certain damsel was presented to her. Why now should I extol or commend her beauty to you, Antipho,

since you yourself know how nice a judge of beauty I am? I have been smitten by her.
565

ANTIPHO

Do you say so?

ANTIPHO

What was it?

CHAEREA

Be quiet, and you shall hear the sooner; to change clothes with him, and order myself to be taken there in his stead.

ANTIPHO

What, instead of the Eunuch?

CHAEREA

The fact.

ANTIPHO

To receive what advantage, pray, from this plan?

CHAEREA

Do you ask? That I might see, hear, and be in company with her whom I loved, Antipho. Is that a slight motive, or a poor reason? I was presented to the woman.

She, as soon as she received me, joyfully took me home to her house and intrusted the damsel—
575

ANTIPHO

To whom? To you?

CHAEREA

To me.

ANTIPHO

(ironically.)

In perfect safety, at all events.

CHAEREA

She gave orders that no male was to come near her, and commanded me not to stir away from her; that I was to remain alone with her in the inner apartments.² Looking bashfully on the ground, I nodded assent.

ANTIPHO

(ironically.)

Poor fellow!

ANTIPHO

Really, I should very much have liked to see that impudent face of yours just then, and what figure a great donkey like you made, holding a fan!

ANTIPHO

What then?

CHAEREA

Eh? What then, you simpleton?

ANTIPHO

I own I am.

CHAEREA

Was I to let slip the opportunity offered me, so excellent, so short-lived,¹¹ so longed for, so unexpected.

In that case, i’faith, I really should have been the person I was pretending to be.
605

ANTIPHO

Troth, you certainly are in the right; but, meantime, what has been arranged about the club-entertainment?

CHAEREA

All’s ready.

ANTIPHO

You are a clever hand; but where? At your house?

CHAEREA

No, at Discus’s, our freedman.

ANTIPHO

That’s a long way off.

CHAEREA

Then let’s make so much the greater haste.¹²

ANTIPHO

Change your dress.¹³

CHAEREA

Where am I to change it? I’m at a loss; for at present I’m an exile from home; I’m afraid of my brother,

lest he should be in-doors: and then again of my father, lest he should have returned from the country by this.
610

ANTIPHO

Let’s go to my house; there is the nearest place for you to change.

CHAEREA

You say right. Let’s be off; besides, I want to take counsel with you about this girl, by what means I may be able to secure the future possession of her.

ANTIPHO

Very well.

(Exeunt.)