Dramatis Personae ANTIPHO, an old gentleman of . EPIGNOMUS Two Brothers. PAMPHILUSIn the former Editions he is called Pamphilippus. Ritschel clearly shown that this is incorrect. GELASIMUS, a Parasite. STICHUS, the servant of Epignomus. SAGARINUS, the servant of Pamphilus. PINACIUM,In the former Editions he is called Dinacium. a boy. A PIPER. PHILUMENA,In the former Editions she is called Panegyris. the wife of Epignomus. PAMPHILA,In the former Editions she is called Pinacium. the wife of Pamphilus, and sister of Philumena. CROCOTIUM, a female servant of Philumena. STEPHANIUM, a female kitchen servant of Pamphila. (Scene.— Athens : a Street before the house of ANTIPHO and those of EPIGNOMUS and PAMPHILUS; the two latter being nest door to each other.) THE SUBJECT.
 THE plot of this Play (which is supposed by some Commentators not to have been written by Plautus) is extremely meagre. Antipho, a wealthy and jovial old gentleman of Athens , has two daughters, Philumena and Pamphila. They are married to two brothers, Epignomus and Pamphilus, who, having run through their property in the company of idlers and Parasites, have, with the view of retrieving their fortunes, taken to merchandize. Having been absent three years from home, and no tidings being heard of them whether they are alive or not Antipho assumes the prerogative of a father, and requests his daughters to marry again; who resolve, however, to maintain their fidelity to their absent husbands. Philumena sends the Parasite, Gelasimus, to the harbour to see if any ships have arrived. In the meantime, the boy, Pinacium, brings her word that her husband has. returned to Athens . He and his brother meet the Parasite, and resist all his attempts to fasten himself upon them; they then go home, and become reconciled to Antipho, from whom, in their poverty, they had become estranged; and who now requests them to make him a present of a female slave. Stichus, the servant, obtains a day’s holiday, together with a present from his master of a cask of wine. He makes an entertainment for himself, his friend Sagarinus, and their mistress Stephanium. The Play concludes with a dance, to the music of the Piper. THE ACROSTIC ARGUMENT. [Supposed to have been written by Priscian the Grammarian.] An old man ( Senex ) rebukes his daughters because they are so ( Tam ) persevering in thus ( Ita ) adhering to their husbands, brothers, poor and abroad, and in not deserting them. And, on the other hand ( Contra ), he is softened down by prudent words to allow them to retain ( Habere ) those whom they have already got. Enriched with wealth, their husbands ( Viri ) come back from beyond the sea; each one retains his own ( Suam ) wife, and to Stichus a holiday is given. (Enter PHILUMENA and PAMPHILA. Title Stichus : Plautus has named this Play Stichus, from the servant, who is one of the characters in it, though not the principal one as Gelasimus, the Parasite, certainly occupies that place. PHILUMENA Sister, I think that Penelope was wretched from her very soul, who was so long deprived of her husband; for from our own fortunes, whose husbands are absent from us, we judge of her feelings; for whose affairs, still, in their absence, both night and day, sister, as is becoming, we are ever anxious. PAMPHILA ’Tis right that we should do our duty; and we do not that any further than affection bids us. PHILUMENA But, sister, step this way a moment; I want to speak about the affairs of my husband. PAMPHILA Ain’t they prospering, pray? PHILUMENA I hope and wish so, indeed. But, sister, at this am I vexed, that your and my father, one who is esteemed as especially honorable among all his fellow-citizens, should be now acting the part of a dishonorable man; who is undeservedly doing so great an injustice to our absent husbands, and is wishing to separate us from them. These things, sister, render me tired of existence; these things are a care and a vexation to me. (She sheds tears.) PAMPHILA Weep not, sister, nor do that to your feelings which your father is threatening to do. ’Tis to be hoped ’Tis to be hoped : Spes est. Literally, there is a hope. that he will act more righteously. I know him well; he says these things in jest; and he would not earn for himself the mountains of the Persians, which are said to be of gold Said to be of gold : No doubt, as the Persians were from an early period noted for their wealth and grandeur, it was a common notion with the people of Europe that they had mountains of gold. , to do that of which you are in dread. Still, if he does do it, it befits you by no means to be angry; nor will it happen without some reason. For this is the third year since our husbands have been away from home. PHILUMENA ’Tis as you say; while, in the meantime, they may be living, and may be well May be well : After valeant in this line, a comma, and not colon, seems more reconcileable to the meaning of the passage. , they do not make us acquainted where they are, what they are doing, whether they are doing well, neither do they return. PAMPHILA And do you, sister, regret this, that they do not observe their duty, whereas you do yours? PHILUMENA Troth, I do. PAMPHILA Hold your peace, if you please; take care, please, that I hear not that same thing from you in future. PHILUMENA And why, pray? PAMPHILA Because, i’ faith, in my opinion, ’tis proper for all prudent people to observe and to do their duty. For that reason, sister, although you are the older, I advise you to remember your duty; and if they are unjust and act otherwise to us than is right, then, i’ faith, in exactly the same degree, that there may be no further mischief, it befits us studiously to remember our duty by all means in our power. PHILUMENA ’Tis good; I’m silenced. PAMPHILA But do take care and remember it. PHILUMENA I do not wish, sister, to be thought to be unmindful of my husband; nor has he thrown away the distinction that he conferred upon me. For, by my troth, his kindness is pleasing and delightful to me; and, really, this choice of mine is not now irksome to me, nor is there any reason why I should wish to abandon this match. But, in fine, ’tis placed in our father’s power In our father’s power : By the law of the Twelve Tables at Rome , females were never sui juris, but under a perpetual guardianship; and even marriage did not entirely exempt them from parental authority, unless they had been emancipated from it before. Among the Greeks also, parents exercised great authority in disposing of their daughters in marriage. ; that must be done by us which our relatives enjoin. PAMPHILA I know it, and in thinking of it I am overwhelmed with grief; for already has he almost disclosed his sentiments. PHILUMENA Let us consider, then, what is necessary for us to do. (Enter ANTIPHO from his house, speaking at the door to his SERVANTS.) ANTIPHO The man in condition of a servant who always waits to be told his duty, and doesn’t remember to do it of his own accord, that servant, I say, is not of a deserving character.