Cistellaria, or The Casket (195-500b)

the father is wishful to give the young man a wife. When the mother[*] came to know of this, she ordered her to be sent for home. Thus have these matters come to pass. Kindly fare you well, and conquer by inborn valour, as you have done before; defend your allies, both ancient ones and new;

increase resources by your righteous laws; destroy your foes; laud and laurels gather; that, conquered by you, the Pœni[*] may suffer the penalty.

I do believe that Love was the first to invent torture among mankind. This conjecture do I form from myself at home, not to go seek it out of doors;

I, who surpass all men, exceed them in the pangs of my feelings. I’m tossed, tormented, agitated, goaded, whirled on the wheel of love in my misery, I’m deprived of sensation, carried one way, carried another way, I’m torn and rent asunder; such clouded faculties of mind have I,

where I am, there I am not; where I am not, there my thoughts are; to such a degree have I now all kinds of feelings in me; what I like, then all at once I like not the same; so much does love trifle with me changing my mind,

drive me, pursue, desire, and seize for itself, retain, trepan, and promise; what it gives, it gives not; it deludes me; what this moment it has persuaded me, it now dissuades me from; what it has dissuaded me from, it now points out to me that same.

After the manner of the sea is it experienced by me; so much does it distract my enamoured feelings; and only in that, in my misery, I do not sink utterly, is there any evil removed from me thus ruined;

in such a way has my father detained me these six days running in the country, at his house there; nor has it been allowed me in the meantime to visit my mistress. Isn’t this dreadful to relate?

Are you joking for this reason, because you’ve got another wife engaged, a rich lady of Lemnos? Have her then! We are neither of a family so great as you are, nor is our wealth so substantial as yours; but still

I have no fears that any one will impeach our oath; you then, if you shall feel any pain, will know for what reason you do feel pain.

May the Gods confound me—

Whatever you wish for, I desire it may befall you.

If ever I’ll marry that wife which my father has engaged for me.

And me, if ever I give you my daughter for a wife.

Will you allow me to be forsworn?

Yes, and a little more easily than myself and my affairs to go to ruin, and my daughter to be trifled with. Begone! go seek where there is confidence enough in your oaths; here now, with us, Alcesimarchus, you’ve renounced your title[*] to our friendship.