quibbles, cajoleries, and parasitical white liesParasitical white lies: Perjeratiunculas parasiticas. Literally, parasitical little perjuries. This is probably meant in reference to the adjurations so common among the ancients on the most trivial occasions, and of which the Parasite promises to be lavish in speaking in praise of his entertainer. The diminutive uncula suits the measure, and also shows the air of self- satisfaction with which he mentions that which he takes to be of the same harmless nature which some easy casuists among ourselves attribute to what they choose to call white lies. Indeed, the ancients esteemed perjury very much according to the subject on which it was employed. Ovid mentions Mercury as laughing at the perjuries of cheating tradesmen, and Jupiter as smiling at those of lovers; surely, then, a little bit of a perjury (the true meaning of perjeratiuncula) could not be amiss on an occasion so trivial, and yet, to the Parasite, so all-important, as the acquisition of a good dinner..I’m selling a rusty flesh-scraperA rusty flesh-scraper: The strigil was an instrument used by the Greeks and Romans in the place of the flesh-brush of modern times. It was made of bone, iron, copper, and sometimes of silver. It was used after taking the sudatorium, or sweating-bath, for the purpose of scraping the perspiration from the body. These instruments were of curved form, and in shape somewhat resembled our tongue-scrapers on a large scale. Rich persons took slaves with them to the baths for the purpose of scraping them. From Hesychius, Athenaeus, and Theophrastus, we learn that Parasites were much in the habit of spunging for entertainers at the public baths; and, no doubt, they generally had ready, for an emergency, both a strigil and a bottle of perfumed ointment, as a handy medium of introduction to strangers., too; a rusty-coloured brown bottleA rusty-coloured brown bottle: The ampulla, or bottle, was probably a lorea, or leather one, and had turned of a rusty-brown colour from age.for the Greek unguentsGreek unguents: By mentioning Greek unguents, Plautus here recollects that he is addressing a Latin audience. The Greek cosmetics and perfumes were much esteemed at Rome. Ovid, in the Art of Love, mentions the Athenian oesypum, which was much used by the Roman ladies for making the complexion clear. It was made from the sweat and grease of the fleeces of the sheep of Attica. at the sweating-bathsThe sweating-baths: The sudatorium, or vapour or sweating bath, was also called by the Romans Laconicum; because it was the habit of the Lacedaemonians to strip and anoint themselves, without using warm water, after the perspiration caused by athletic exercises. Cicero styles it assa, because it produced perspiration by means of a dry hot atmosphere. After it had been used, and the strigil applied to the skin, the bather was dried with towels, and then anointed, when the unctiones Graecae of the Parasite would be in demand. These were used either to close the pores of the skin and to prevent the person from catching cold, or to keep the skin from being rough when dried with the towel. Probably the Parasites were ready to give a hand on an emergency in assisting to rub down and anoint the bather, especially if he was known to keep a good cuisine.; delicate after-dinner powdersAfter-dinner powders: Crapularios. These were probably soft and tasteless (malacos) powders, used, like our dinner-pills, in order to prevent the bad effects of heating the stomach with rich food and excess of wine. A clover Parasite would, of course, always have these in readiness on an emergency.;an empty Parasite as well (pointing to himself), in whom to lay by your scraps. ’Tis needful that these should be sold at once for as much as they can; that, if I offer the tenth part. to HerculesTenth part to Hercules: He seems to be about to give a fictitious reason for his anxiety to get a dinner—that, forsooth, like a pious man he may have the greater amount of tithes to present to Hercules. The hiatus precludes as from forming any very determinate opinion on the meaning of the passage., on that account it may be greater CROCOTIUM(aside.)An auction of no great value, by my troth. Hunger has taken hold of the very deepest recess of the fellow’s stomach. I’ll accost the man.(Moves towards him.)GELASIMUS Who’s this that’s coming towards me? Why, surely this is Crocotium, the maid-servant of Epignomus.CROCOTIUM My respects, Gelasimus. GELASIMUS That’s not my name.CROCOTIUM I’ faith, for sure that used to be your name.GELASIMUS Distinctly it was so, but I’ve lost it by use. Now I’m called MiccotrogusMiccotrogus: This is a Greek compound word, which signifies crumb-eater; in it he alludes to his short commons. from what is fact.CROCOTIUM O dear! I’ve laughed a good deal at you to-day.GELASIMUS When? or in what place? CROCOTIUM Here, when you were carrying on a most worthless auction.GELASIMUS How now; did you really hear it?CROCOTIUM Aye, and one really right worthy of yourself.GELASIMUS Where are you bound for now? CROCOTIUM For yourself.GELASIMUS Why have you come? CROCOTIUM Philumena bade me ask you by all means to come to visit her at her house this instant, together with me.GELASIMUS I’ faith, but I’ll surely come there as fast as I can. Are the entrails cookedAre the entrails cooked: It has been already remarked, that after the sacrifice, the Gods having received their portion, the devotee took home the remainder, and invited his friends to come to his house and partake of it. The Parasite was not, perhaps, much in the wrong when he deemed a lamb’s fry no bad dish. St. Paul alludes to this custom when he tells the converts to keep themselves from things offered to idols.—Acts, ch. xv., v. 20; and ch. xxi. v. 25. by this? With how many lambs has she been sacrificing?CROCOTIUM Indeed, she hasn’t been sacrificing at all.GELASIMUS How? What does she want with me, then?CROCOTIUM I think that she’s going to ask you for ten measures of wheat.GELASIMUS Or me rather ask it of her?CROCOTIUM No; that you yourself should lend them to us.GELASIMUS Tell her that I’ve nothing to give myself, or that she could wish to borrow, nor anything whatever, except this cloak that I have on. Even my very tongue that so freely used to offer itselfThat so freely used to offer itself: It is very difficult to say exactly what the Parasite means by lingua dataria. Perhaps he means to tell the girl that he is in a bad humour—that he now gives nothing at all, not even his tongue, which has been hitherto dataria, or at the service of everybody. Now, however, he will put it up to sale by auction, and in future, before he says dabo, I’ll give you my tongue or, in other words, my company he will say, cedo, give me, or tell me what is your offer or bidding. I’ve sold as well.CROCOTIUM How? Have you got no tongue?GELASIMUS Why, the former one, that used to say here, take meHere take me: Dabo. Literally, I will give., I’ve lost: see, here’s one now that says give me.(Puts out his tongue.)CROCOTIUM A curse may the Gods give you GELASIMUS Aye, if a curse you want, this same tongue will give you that.