Publius Terentius Afer (Terence), Adelphi, ed. Edward St. John Parry, 3.4

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447 (HEGIO. GETA. DEMEA. PAMPHILA.)

HEGIO

Pro Di immortales, facinus indignum, Geta.

Quid narras?

GETA

Sic est factum.

HEGIO

Ex illan familia

Tam illiberale facinus esse ortum? O Aeschine,

Pol haud paternum istuc dedisti.
450

DEMEA

Videlicet

De psaltria hac audivit: id illi nunc dolet

Alieno: pater is nihili pendit. Hei mihi!

Utinam hic prope adesset alicubi, atque audiret haec.

HEGIO

Nisi facient quae illos aequum est, haud sic auferent.

GETA

In te spes omnis, Hegio, nobis sita est.
455

Te solum habemus: tu es patronus, tu parens:

Ille tibi moriens nos commendavit senex.

Si deseris tu, periimus.

HEGIO

Cave dixeris.

Neque faciam, neque me satis pie posse arbitror.

DEMEA

Adibo. Salvere Hegionem plurimum
460

Iubeo.

HEGIO

Te quaerebam ipsum. Salve Demea.

DEMEA

Quid autem?

HEGIO

Maior filius tuus Aeschinus,

Quem fratri adoptandum dedisti, neque boni

Neque liberalis functus officium est viri.

DEMEA

Quid istuc est?
465

HEGIO

Nostrum amicum noras Simulum

Atque aequalem?

DEMEA

Quidni?

HEGIO

Filiam eius virginem

Vitiavit.

DEMEA

Hem!

HEGIO

Mane; nondum audisti, Demea,

Quod est gravissimum.

DEMEA

An quid est etiam amplius?

HEGIO

Vero amplius; nam hoc quidem ferendum aliquo modo est:

Persuasit nox, amor, vinum, adolescentia:
470

Humanum est. Ubi scit factum, ad matrem virginis

Venit ipsus ultro lacrimans, orans, obsecrans,

Fidem dans, iurans se illam ducturum domum.

Ignotum est; tacitum est; creditum est. Virgo ex eo

Compressu gravida facta est: mensis hic decimus est.
475

Ille bonus vir nobis psaltriam, si Dis placet,

Paravit quicum vivat, illam deserit.

DEMEA

Pro certon tu istaec dicis?

HEGIO

Mater virginis

In medio est; ipsa virgo; res ipsa: hic Geta

Praeterea, ut captus est servorum non malus
480

Neque iners, alit illas: solus omnem familiam

Sustentat: hunc abduce, vinci; quaere rem.

GETA

Immo hercle extorque, nisi ita factum est, Demea.

Postremo non negabit: coram ipsum cedo.

DEMEA

Pudet: nec quid agam neque quid huic respondeam
485

Scio.

PAMPHILA

Miseram me, differor doloribus.

Iuno Lucina, fer opem: serva me, obsecro.

HEGIO

Hem.

Numnam illa quaeso parturit?

GETA

Certe Hegio.

HEGIO

Hem.

Illaec fidem nunc vestram implorat, Demea:

Quod vos vis cogit, id voluntate impetret.
490

Haec primum ut fiant Deos quaeso ut vobis decet:

Sin aliter animus vester est, ego, Demea,

Summa vi defendam hanc atque illum mortuum.

Mihi cognatus erat: una a pueris parvulis

Sumus educti; una semper militiae et domi
495

Fuimus; paupertatem una pertulimus gravem.

Quapropter nitar, faciam, experiar, denique

Animam relinquam potius quam illas deseram.

Quid mihi respondes?

DEMEA

Fratrem conveniam, Hegio:

Is quod mihi de hac re dederit consilium id sequar.

HEGIO

Sed Demea hoc tu facito, cum animo cogites
500

Quam vos facillime agitis, quam estis maxime

Potentes, dites, fortunati, nobiles,

Tam maxime vos aequo animo aequa noscere

Oportet, si vos vultis perhiberi probos.

DEMEA

Redito: fient quae fieri aequum est omnia.
505

HEGIO

Decet te facere. Geta duc me intro ad Sostratam.

DEMEA

Non me indicente haec fiunt. Utinam hic sit modo

Defunctum: verum nimia illaec licentia

Profecto evadet in aliquod magnum malum.

Ibo ac requiram fratrem, ut in eum haec evomam.
510

Adelphi. 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

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

Translations (1)

Adelphi; or, The Brothers Perseus (Terence. The Comedies of Terence. Riley, Henry Thomas; Colman, George, translators. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1872.) — 3.4 focus

447
(Enter HEGIO and GETA, conversing, at a distance.)

HEGIO

Oh immortal Gods! a disgraceful action, Geta! What is it you tell me?

GETA

Such is the fact.

HEGIO

That so ignoble a deed should come from that family! Oh Aeschinus,

assuredly you haven’t taken after your father in that!
450

DEMEA

(apart.)

Why surely, he has heard this about the Music-girl; that gives him concern, though a stranger; this father of his thinks nothing of it. Ah me! I wish he were somewhere close at hand to overhear this.

HEGIO

Unless they do as they ought to do, they shall not come off so easily.

GETA

All our hopes, Hegio, are centred in you; you we have for our only friend; you are our protector, our father. The old man, Simulus, when dying, recommended us to you; if you forsake us, we are undone.
455

HEGIO

Beware how you mention that; I neither will do it, nor do I think that, with due regard to the ties of relationship, I could.

DEMEA

(apart.)

I’ll accost him. (Approaches HEGIO.) Hegio, I bid you welcome right heartily;
460

HEGIO

(starting.)

Oh! you are the very man I was looking for. Greetings to you, Demea.

DEMEA

Why, what’s the matter?

HEGIO

Your eldest son Aeschinus, whom you gave to your brother to adopt, has been acting the part of neither an honest man nor a gentleman.

DEMEA

What has he been doing?
465

HEGIO

You knew my friend and year’s-mate, Simulus?

DEMEA

Why not?

HEGIO

He has debauched his daughter, a virgin.

DEMEA

Hah!

HEGIO

Stay, Demea. You have not yet heard the worst.

DEMEA

Is there any thing still worse?

HEGIO

Worse, by far: for this indeed might in some measure have been borne with.

The hour of night prompted him; passion, wine, young blood; ’tis human nature. When he was sensible of what he had done, he came voluntarily to the girl’s mother, weeping, praying, entreating, pledging his honor, vowing that he would take her home.¹ The affair was pardoned, hushed up, his word taken. The girl from that
470

intercourse became pregnant: this is the tenth month. He, worthy fellow, has provided himself, if it please the Gods, with a Music-girl to live with; the other he has cast off.
475

DEMEA

Do you say this for certain?

HEGIO

The mother of the young woman is among us,² the young woman too; the fact speaks for itself; this Geta,

besides, according to the common run of servants, not a bad one or of idle habits; he supports them; alone, maintains the whole family; take him, bind him,³ examine him upon the matter.
480

GETA

Aye, faith, put me to the torture, Demea, if such is not the fact: besides, he will not deny it. Confront me with him.

DEMEA

(aside.)

I am ashamed; and what to do, or how to answer him, I don’t know.
485

PAMPHILA

(crying out within the house of SOSTRATA.)

Ah me! I am racked with pains! Juno Lucina,⁴ bring aid, save me, I beseech thee.

HEGIO

Hold; is she in labor, pray?

GETA

No doubt of it, Hegio.

HEGIO

Ah! she is now imploring your protection, Demea;

let her obtain from you spontaneously what the power of the law compels you to give. I do entreat the Gods that what befits you may at once be clone. But if your sentiments are otherwise, Demea, I will defend both them and him who is dead to the utmost of my power.
490

He was my kinsman:⁵ we were brought up together from children, we were companions in the wars and at home, together we experienced the hardships of poverty. I will therefore exert myself, strive, use all methods, in fine lay down my life, rather than forsake these women. What answer do you give me?

DEMEA

I’ll go find my brother, Hegio:

the advice he gives me upon this matter I’ll follow.⁶

HEGIO

But, Demea, take you care and reflect upon this: the more easy you are in your circumstances, the more powerful, wealthy, affluent, and noble you are, so much the more ought you with equanimity to observe the dictates of justice, if you would have yourselves esteemed as men of probity.
500

DEMEA

Go back now;⁷ every thing shall be done that is proper to be done.
505

HEGIO

It becomes you to act thus. Geta, show me in to Sostrata.

(Follows GETA into SOSTRATA’S house.)

DEMEA

(to himself.)

Not without warning on my part have these things happened: I only wish it may end here; but this immoderate indulgence will undoubtedly lead to some great misfortune.

I’ll go find my brother, and vent these feelings upon him.
510
(Exit.)

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HEGIO Pro Di immortales, facinus indignum, Geta. Quid narras?

GETA Sic est factum.

HEGIO Ex illan familia Tam illiberale facinus esse ortum? O Aeschine, Pol haud paternum istuc dedisti. 450

DEMEA Videlicet De psaltria hac audivit: id illi nunc dolet Alieno: pater is nihili pendit. Hei mihi! Utinam hic prope adesset alicubi, atque audiret haec.

HEGIO Nisi facient quae illos aequum est, haud sic auferent.

GETA In te spes omnis, Hegio, nobis sita est. 455 Te solum habemus: tu es patronus, tu parens: Ille tibi moriens nos commendavit senex. Si deseris tu, periimus.

HEGIO Cave dixeris. Neque faciam, neque me satis pie posse arbitror.

DEMEA Adibo. Salvere Hegionem plurimum 460 Iubeo.

HEGIO Te quaerebam ipsum. Salve Demea.

DEMEA Quid autem?

HEGIO Maior filius tuus Aeschinus, Quem fratri adoptandum dedisti, neque boni Neque liberalis functus officium est viri.

DEMEA Quid istuc est? 465

HEGIO Nostrum amicum noras Simulum Atque aequalem?

DEMEA Quidni?

HEGIO Filiam eius virginem Vitiavit.

DEMEA Hem!

HEGIO Mane; nondum audisti, Demea, Quod est gravissimum.

DEMEA An quid est etiam amplius?

DEMEA Pro certon tu istaec dicis?

HEGIO Mater virginis In medio est; ipsa virgo; res ipsa: hic Geta Praeterea, ut captus est servorum non malus 480 Neque iners, alit illas: solus omnem familiam Sustentat: hunc abduce, vinci; quaere rem.

GETA Immo hercle extorque, nisi ita factum est, Demea. Postremo non negabit: coram ipsum cedo.

DEMEA Pudet: nec quid agam neque quid huic respondeam 485 Scio.

PAMPHILA Miseram me, differor doloribus. Iuno Lucina, fer opem: serva me, obsecro.

HEGIO Hem. Numnam illa quaeso parturit?

GETA Certe Hegio.

DEMEA Fratrem conveniam, Hegio: Is quod mihi de hac re dederit consilium id sequar.

HEGIO Sed Demea hoc tu facito, cum animo cogites 500 Quam vos facillime agitis, quam estis maxime Potentes, dites, fortunati, nobiles, Tam maxime vos aequo animo aequa noscere Oportet, si vos vultis perhiberi probos.

DEMEA Redito: fient quae fieri aequum est omnia. 505

HEGIO Decet te facere. Geta duc me intro ad Sostratam.

DEMEA Non me indicente haec fiunt. Utinam hic sit modo Defunctum: verum nimia illaec licentia Profecto evadet in aliquod magnum malum. Ibo ac requiram fratrem, ut in eum haec evomam. 510

Current edition Perseus

HEGIO Oh immortal Gods! a disgraceful action, Geta! What is it you tell me?

GETA Such is the fact.

HEGIO That so ignoble a deed should come from that family! Oh Aeschinus, assuredly you haven’t taken after your father in that! 450

DEMEA (apart.) Why surely, he has heard this about the Music-girl; that gives him concern, though a stranger; this father of his thinks nothing of it. Ah me! I wish he were somewhere close at hand to overhear this.

HEGIO Unless they do as they ought to do, they shall not come off so easily.

GETA All our hopes, Hegio, are centred in you; you we have for our only friend; you are our protector, our father. The old man, Simulus, when dying, recommended us to you; if you forsake us, we are undone. 455

HEGIO Beware how you mention that; I neither will do it, nor do I think that, with due regard to the ties of relationship, I could.

DEMEA (apart.) I’ll accost him. (Approaches HEGIO.) Hegio, I bid you welcome right heartily; 460

HEGIO (starting.) Oh! you are the very man I was looking for. Greetings to you, Demea.

DEMEA Why, what’s the matter?

HEGIO Your eldest son Aeschinus, whom you gave to your brother to adopt, has been acting the part of neither an honest man nor a gentleman.

DEMEA What has he been doing? 465

HEGIO You knew my friend and year’s-mate, Simulus?

DEMEA Why not?

HEGIO He has debauched his daughter, a virgin.

DEMEA Hah!

HEGIO Stay, Demea. You have not yet heard the worst.

DEMEA Is there any thing still worse?

DEMEA Do you say this for certain?

GETA Aye, faith, put me to the torture, Demea, if such is not the fact: besides, he will not deny it. Confront me with him.

DEMEA (aside.) I am ashamed; and what to do, or how to answer him, I don’t know. 485

PAMPHILA (crying out within the house of SOSTRATA.) Ah me! I am racked with pains! Juno Lucina, 4 bring aid, save me, I beseech thee.

HEGIO Hold; is she in labor, pray?

GETA No doubt of it, Hegio.

DEMEA I’ll go find my brother, Hegio: the advice he gives me upon this matter I’ll follow. 6

HEGIO But, Demea, take you care and reflect upon this: the more easy you are in your circumstances, the more powerful, wealthy, affluent, and noble you are, so much the more ought you with equanimity to observe the dictates of justice, if you would have yourselves esteemed as men of probity. 500

DEMEA Go back now; 7 every thing shall be done that is proper to be done. 505

HEGIO It becomes you to act thus. Geta, show me in to Sostrata. (Follows GETA into SOSTRATA’S house.)

DEMEA (to himself.) Not without warning on my part have these things happened: I only wish it may end here; but this immoderate indulgence will undoubtedly lead to some great misfortune. I’ll go find my brother, and vent these feelings upon him. 510 (Exit.)

Stable identifiers

HEGIO

Pro Di immortales, facinus indignum, Geta.

Quid narras?

GETA

Sic est factum.

HEGIO

Ex illan familia

Tam illiberale facinus esse ortum? O Aeschine,

Pol haud paternum istuc dedisti.
450

DEMEA

Videlicet

De psaltria hac audivit: id illi nunc dolet

Alieno: pater is nihili pendit. Hei mihi!

Utinam hic prope adesset alicubi, atque audiret haec.

HEGIO

Nisi facient quae illos aequum est, haud sic auferent.

GETA

In te spes omnis, Hegio, nobis sita est.
455

Te solum habemus: tu es patronus, tu parens:

Ille tibi moriens nos commendavit senex.

Si deseris tu, periimus.

HEGIO

Cave dixeris.

Neque faciam, neque me satis pie posse arbitror.

DEMEA

Adibo. Salvere Hegionem plurimum
460

Iubeo.

HEGIO

Te quaerebam ipsum. Salve Demea.

DEMEA

Quid autem?

HEGIO

Maior filius tuus Aeschinus,

Quem fratri adoptandum dedisti, neque boni

Neque liberalis functus officium est viri.

DEMEA

Quid istuc est?
465

HEGIO

Nostrum amicum noras Simulum

Atque aequalem?

DEMEA

Quidni?

HEGIO

Filiam eius virginem

Vitiavit.

DEMEA

Hem!

HEGIO

Mane; nondum audisti, Demea,

Quod est gravissimum.

DEMEA

An quid est etiam amplius?

DEMEA

Pro certon tu istaec dicis?

HEGIO

Mater virginis

In medio est; ipsa virgo; res ipsa: hic Geta

Praeterea, ut captus est servorum non malus
480

Neque iners, alit illas: solus omnem familiam

Sustentat: hunc abduce, vinci; quaere rem.

GETA

Immo hercle extorque, nisi ita factum est, Demea.

Postremo non negabit: coram ipsum cedo.

DEMEA

Pudet: nec quid agam neque quid huic respondeam
485

Scio.

PAMPHILA

Miseram me, differor doloribus.

Iuno Lucina, fer opem: serva me, obsecro.

HEGIO

Hem.

Numnam illa quaeso parturit?

GETA

Certe Hegio.

DEMEA

Fratrem conveniam, Hegio:

Is quod mihi de hac re dederit consilium id sequar.

HEGIO

Sed Demea hoc tu facito, cum animo cogites
500

Quam vos facillime agitis, quam estis maxime

Potentes, dites, fortunati, nobiles,

Tam maxime vos aequo animo aequa noscere

Oportet, si vos vultis perhiberi probos.

DEMEA

Redito: fient quae fieri aequum est omnia.
505

HEGIO

Decet te facere. Geta duc me intro ad Sostratam.

DEMEA

Non me indicente haec fiunt. Utinam hic sit modo

Defunctum: verum nimia illaec licentia

Profecto evadet in aliquod magnum malum.

Ibo ac requiram fratrem, ut in eum haec evomam.
510

HEGIO

Oh immortal Gods! a disgraceful action, Geta! What is it you tell me?

GETA

Such is the fact.

HEGIO

That so ignoble a deed should come from that family! Oh Aeschinus,

assuredly you haven’t taken after your father in that!
450

DEMEA

(apart.)

Why surely, he has heard this about the Music-girl; that gives him concern, though a stranger; this father of his thinks nothing of it. Ah me! I wish he were somewhere close at hand to overhear this.

HEGIO

Unless they do as they ought to do, they shall not come off so easily.

GETA

All our hopes, Hegio, are centred in you; you we have for our only friend; you are our protector, our father. The old man, Simulus, when dying, recommended us to you; if you forsake us, we are undone.
455

HEGIO

Beware how you mention that; I neither will do it, nor do I think that, with due regard to the ties of relationship, I could.

DEMEA

(apart.)

I’ll accost him. (Approaches HEGIO.) Hegio, I bid you welcome right heartily;
460

HEGIO

(starting.)

Oh! you are the very man I was looking for. Greetings to you, Demea.

DEMEA

Why, what’s the matter?

HEGIO

Your eldest son Aeschinus, whom you gave to your brother to adopt, has been acting the part of neither an honest man nor a gentleman.

DEMEA

What has he been doing?
465

HEGIO

You knew my friend and year’s-mate, Simulus?

DEMEA

Why not?

HEGIO

He has debauched his daughter, a virgin.

DEMEA

Hah!

HEGIO

Stay, Demea. You have not yet heard the worst.

DEMEA

Is there any thing still worse?

DEMEA

Do you say this for certain?

GETA

Aye, faith, put me to the torture, Demea, if such is not the fact: besides, he will not deny it. Confront me with him.

DEMEA

(aside.)

I am ashamed; and what to do, or how to answer him, I don’t know.
485

PAMPHILA

(crying out within the house of SOSTRATA.)

Ah me! I am racked with pains! Juno Lucina,⁴ bring aid, save me, I beseech thee.

HEGIO

Hold; is she in labor, pray?

GETA

No doubt of it, Hegio.

DEMEA

I’ll go find my brother, Hegio:

the advice he gives me upon this matter I’ll follow.⁶

HEGIO

But, Demea, take you care and reflect upon this: the more easy you are in your circumstances, the more powerful, wealthy, affluent, and noble you are, so much the more ought you with equanimity to observe the dictates of justice, if you would have yourselves esteemed as men of probity.
500

DEMEA

Go back now;⁷ every thing shall be done that is proper to be done.
505

HEGIO

It becomes you to act thus. Geta, show me in to Sostrata.

(Follows GETA into SOSTRATA’S house.)

DEMEA

(to himself.)

Not without warning on my part have these things happened: I only wish it may end here; but this immoderate indulgence will undoubtedly lead to some great misfortune.

I’ll go find my brother, and vent these feelings upon him.
510
(Exit.)