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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
578b
578b
ARISTOPHONTES
578b
How’s this? How this scoundrel, Hegio, is making sport of you now.
212
For he’s a slave himself, and never, except his own self, had he a slave.
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TYNDARUS
213
Because you yourself are destitute in your own country, and haven’t whereon to live at home, you wish all to be found like to yourself; you don’t do anything surprising. ’Tis the nature of the distressed to be ill-disposed, and to envy the fortunate.
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ARISTOPHONTES
214
Hegio, take you care, please, that you don’t persist in rashly placing confidence in this man;
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for so far as I see, he is certainly now putting some device in execution, in saying that he is redeeming your son from captivity; that is by no means satisfactory to me.
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TYNDARUS
216
I know that you don’t wish that to be done; still I shall effect it, if the Gods assist me. I shall bring him back here, and he will restore me to my father, in Elis. For that purpose have I sent Tyndarus hence to my father.
589b
589b
ARISTOPHONTES
589b
Why, you yourself are he;
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nor is there any slave in Elis of that name, except yourself.
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TYNDARUS
218
Do you persist in reproaching me with being a slave—a thing that has befallen me through the fortune of war?
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ARISTOPHONTES
219
Really, now, I cannot contain myself.
592b
592b
TYNDARUS
592b
Ha! don’t you hear him? Why don’t you take to flight? He’ll be pelting us just now with stones there, unless you order him to be seized.
594b
594b
ARISTOPHONTES
594b
I’m distracted.
594c
594c
TYNDARUS
594c
His eyes strike fire; there’s need of a rope, Hegio.
220
Don’t you see how his body is spotted all over with livid spots? Black bileBlack bile: A superabundance of the bile was supposed to be productive of melancholy madness. The word melancholy is from the Greek μελαγχολιὰ, black bile. is disordering the man.
596b
596b
ARISTOPHONTES
596b
And, by my faith, if this old gentleman is wise, black pitchBlack pitch: He alludes to a frightful punishment inflicted upon malefactors by the Romans. They were either smeared over with burning pitch, or were first covered with pitch, which was then set fire to. This punishment is supposed to have been often inflicted upon the early Christians. Juvenal alludes to it in his First Satire, l. 155: Pone Tigellinum, taedâ lucebis in illâ, Quâ stantes ardent, qui fixo gutture fumant. Describe Tigellinus [an infamous minister of Nero], and you shall give a light by those torches, in which those stand and burn who send forth smoke with a stake driven into their throat. will be disordering you with the executioner, and giving a light to your head.
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TYNDARUS
221
He’s now talking in his fit of delirium; sprites are in possession of the man.
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HEGIO
222
By my troth, suppose I order him to be seized?
599a
599a
TYNDARUS
599a
You would be acting more wisely.Part of line 599 in the Latin.
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ARISTOPHONTES
223
I’m vexed that I haven’t a stone, to knock out the brains of that whip-scoundrel, who’s driving me to madness by his taunts.
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TYNDARUS
224
Don’t you hear that he’s looking for a stone?
602b
602b
ARISTOPHONTES
602b
I wish to speak with you alone, separately, Hegio.
603b
603b
HEGIO
603b
Speak from where you are, if you want anything; though at a distance, I shall hear you.
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TYNDARUS
225
Yes, for, by my faith, if you approach nearer, he’ll be taking your nose off with his teeth.
605b
605b
ARISTOPHONTES
605b
By heavens, Hegio, don’t you believe that I am mad, or that I ever was so, or that I have the malady which that fellow avers. But if you fear anything from me, order me to be bound; I wish it, so long as that fellow is bound as well.
608b
608b
TYNDARUS
608b
Why really, Hegio, rather let him be bound that wishes it.
609b
609b
ARISTOPHONTES
609b
Now hold your tongue! I’ll make you, you false Philocrates, to be found out this day to be a real Tyndarus.
226
Why are you making signsWhy are you making signs: Abnutas. The verb abnuto means, to nod to a person that he may desist. Tyndarus thinks that by this time Aristophontes must surely understand the plan that has been devised for the escape of Philocrates; and, as he is about to step aside to speak with Hegio, he makes a sign, requesting him to stop short in his contradiction of what he has asserted. at me?
611b
611b
TYNDARUS
611b
I, making signs at you? (To HEGIO.) What would he do, if you were at a greater distance off?
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HEGIO
227
What do you say? What if I approach this madman?
612b
612b
TYNDARUS
612b
Nonsense; you’ll be made a fool of; he’ll be prating stuff, to you, neither the feet nor the head of which will ever be visible.
228
The dress onlyThe dress only: By ornamenta he means the dress of Tragedy. The dresses of Comedy were essentially different from those of Tragedy. He means to say, the man is mad; if he had only the Tragic garb on, you might take him for Ajax Telamon in his frenzy. On being refused the arms of Achilles, Ajax became mad, and slaughtered a flock of sheep fancying that they were Ulysses and the sons of Atreus. is wanting; in seeing this man, you behold Ajax himself.
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HEGIO
229
I don’t care; still I’ll approach him.
616b
616b
TYNDARUS
616b
Now am I utterly undone; now between the sacrifice and the stoneThe sacrifice and the stone: We learn from Livy, that in the most ancient times the animal for sacrifice was killed by being struck with a stone; to stand between the victim and the stone, would consequently imply, to be in a position of extreme danger. do I stand, nor know I what to do.
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HEGIO
230
I lend you my attention, Aristophontes, if there is anything that you would wish with me.
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ARISTOPHONTES
231
From me you shall hear that truth, which now you think to be false, Hegio.
232
But I wish, in the first place, to clear myself from this with you—that madness does not possess me, and that I have no malady, except that I am in captivity; and, so may the King of Gods and of men make me to regain my native land, that fellow there is no more Philocrates than either I or you.
623b
623b
HEGIO
623b
Come, then, tell me who he is?
624b
624b
ARISTOPHONTES
624b
He whom I’ve told you all along from the beginning.
233
If you shall find him any other than that person, I show no cause why I shouldn’t suffer the loss with you both of my parents and of my liberty for ever.
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HEGIO
234
What say you to this?
627b
627b
TYNDARUS
627b
That I am your slave, and you my master.
627c
627c
HEGIO
627c
I didn’t ask that—were you a free man?
628b
628b
TYNDARUS
628b
I was.
628c
628c
ARISTOPHONTES
628c
But he really wasn’t; he is deceiving you.
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TYNDARUS
235
How do you know? Were you, perchance, the midwife of my mother,
236
since you dare to affirm this so boldly?
630b
630b
ARISTOPHONTES
630b
When a boy, I saw yourself, a boy.
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TYNDARUS
237
But, grown up, I now see you grown up; so, there’s for you, in return. If you did right, you wouldn’t be troubling yourself about my concerns; do I trouble myself about yours?
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HEGIO
238
Was his father called Thesaurochrysonicocrœsides?
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ARISTOPHONTES
239
He was not; and I never heard that name before this day.
240
Theodoromedes was the father of Philocrates.
635b
635b
TYNDARUS
635b
I’m downright undone. Why don’t you be quiet, heart of mine? Go and be stretched, and hang yourself; you are throbbing so, that unfortunate I can hardly stand up for my fear.
241
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HEGIO
241
Is a full assurance given me that this was a slave in Elis, and that he is not Philocrates?
639b
639b
ARISTOPHONTES
639b
So fully, that you will never find this to be otherwise; but where is heBut where is he: Tyndarus has probably betaken himself to some corner of the stage, and Aristophontes misses him from his former position. now?
640b
640b
HEGIO
640b
Where I the least, and he the most could wish himself. In consequence, then, I’m cut asunderCut asunder: Deruncinatus means, literally, cut asunder with a runcina, or saw., disjointed, to my sorrow, by the devices of this scoundrel, who has bamboozled me by his tricks just as he has thought fit. But do, please, have a care that you are right.
643b
643b
ARISTOPHONTES
643b
Why, I assure you of this, as an ascertained and established fact.
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HEGIO
242
For certain?
644b
644b
ARISTOPHONTES
644b
Why, nothing, I say, will you find more certain than this certainty.
243
Philocrates, from when a boy, has ever since that time been my friend.
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HEGIO
244
But of what appearance is your friend Philocrates?
646b
646b
ARISTOPHONTES
646b
I’ll tell you:
245
with a thin face, sharp nose, light hair, dark eyes, somewhat ruddy, with hair rather crisp and curling,
648b
648b
HEGIO
648b
The description is like.
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TYNDARUS
246
Aye, so much so, indeed, that I’ve this day, much to my sorrow, got into the midst of this, i’ faith. Woe to those unfortunate rods which this day will be meeting their end upon my back.
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HEGIO
247
I see that I’ve been imposed upon.
651b
651b
TYNDARUS
651b
Why, fetters, do you delay to run towards me and to embrace my legs, that I may have you in custody?
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HEGIO
248
And have these two rascally captives really deceived me this day with their tricks? The other one pretended that he was the servant, and this one that he himself was the master.
249
I’ve lost the kernel; for a security, I’ve left the shell. To such a degree have they imposed upon meHave they imposed upon me: Os sublevere offuciis. Literally painted my face with varnish. This expression is probably derived from the practice of persons concealing, their defects, by painting over spots or freckles in the face for the purpose of hiding them., both on this side and that, with their trickeries. Still, this fellow shall never have the laugh against me. Colaphus, Cordalio, CoraxColaphus, Cordalio, Corax: These are the names of slaves Colaphus means, also, a blow with the fist. Corax was the Greek name for a crow, and was probably given to a black slave. (to the SLAVES), go you away and bring out the thongs.
658b
658b
A SLAVE
658b
Are we to be sent to gather faggotsTo gather faggots: He asks this question because cords, lora, were necessary for the purpose of binding up faggots.? (The SLAVES go and bring the thongs from the house.)
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HEGIO
250
Put the manacles on this whipp’d villain.
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TYNDARUS
251
What’s the matter? What have I done wrong?
660b
660b
HEGIO
660b
Do you ask the question? You weeder and sower of villanies, and in especial their reaper.
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TYNDARUS
252
Ought you not to have ventured to say the harrower first? For countrymen always harrow before they weed.
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HEGIO
253
Why, with what assurance he stands before me.
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TYNDARUS
254
It’s proper for a servant, innocent and guiltless, to be full of confidence, most especially before his master.
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HEGIO
255
Bind this fellow’s hands tightly, will you.
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TYNDARUS
256
I am your own—do you command them to be cut off even. But what is the matter on account of which you blame me?
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HEGIO
257
Because me and my fortunes, so far as in you singly lay, by your rascally and knavish stratagems you have rent in pieces, and have distracted my affairs and spoiled all my resources and my plans, in that you’ve thus robbed me of Philocrates by your devices,
258
I thought that he was the slave, you the free man. So did you say yourselves, and in this way did you change names between you.
677b
677b
TYNDARUS
677b
I confess that all was done so, as you say, and that by a stratagem he has got away from you, through my aid and cleverness;
259
and prithee, now, do you blame me for that, i’ faith?
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HEGIO
260
Why, it has been done with your extreme torture for the consequence.
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TYNDARUS
261
So I don’t die by reason of my misdeeds, I care but little. If I do die here, then he returns not, as he said he would; but when I’m dead, this act will be remembered to my honor,
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that I caused my captive master to return from slavery and the foe, a free man, to his father in his native land; and that I preferred rather to expose my own life to peril, than that he should be undone.
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HEGIO
263
Take care, then, to enjoy that fame at Acheron.
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TYNDARUS
264
He who dies for virtue’s sake, still does not perish.
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HEGIO
265
When I’ve tortured you in the most severe manner, and for your schemes put you to death, let them say either that you have perished or that you have died; so long as you do die, I don’t think it matters if they say you live.
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TYNDARUS
266
I’ faith, if you do do so, you’ll do it not without retribution, if he shall return here, as I trust that he will return.
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ARISTOPHONTES
267
O ye immortal Gods! I understand it now; now I know what the case really is. My friend Philocrates is at liberty with his father, in his native land. ’Tis well;
268
nor have I any person to whom I could so readily wish well. But this thing grieves me, that I’ve done this person a bad turn, who now on account of me and my talking is in chains.
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HEGIO
269
Did I not forbid you this day to utter anything false to me?
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TYNDARUS
270
You did forbid me.
704b
704b
HEGIO
704b
Why did you dare to tell me lies?
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TYNDARUS
271
Because the truth would have prejudiced him whom I was serving; now falsehood has advantaged him.
706b
706b
HEGIO
706b
But it will prejudice yourself.
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706c
TYNDARUS
706c
’Tis very good. Still, I have saved my master, whom I rejoice at being saved, to whom my elder master had assigned me as a protector. But do you think that this was wrongly done?
709b
709b
HEGIO
709b
Most wrongfully.
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TYNDARUS
272
But I, who disagree with you, say, rightly. For consider, if any slave of yours had done this for your son, what thanks you would have given him. Would you have given that slave his freedom or not? Would not that slave have been in highest esteem with you?
273
Answer me that.
715b
715b
HEGIO
715b
I think so.