Dramatis Personae IN THE PROLOGUE. LUXURY. POVERTY. IN THE PLAY. CHARMIDES, an Athenian merchant. LESBONICUS, the son of Charmides. CALLICLES, a friend of Charmides. MEGARONIDES, a friend of Callicles. STASIMUS, the servant of Charmides and Lesbonicus. PHILTO, a wealthy Athenian, LYSITELES, the son of Philto, and a friend of Lesbonicus. A SHARPER. (Scene—A Street in Athens : the house of CHARMIDES on one side, and that of PHILTO on the other.) THE SUBJECT.
 CHARMIDES, a wealthy Athenian, his property having been much duninished by the reckless conduct of his son, goes abroad. His dissolute son, Lesbonicus, being left behind at Athens , consumes the little resources left him, and then puts up his father’s house for sale. At his departure, Charmides has entrusted his interests and the care of his son and daughter to his friend Callicles and has also informed him that in his house there is a treasure buried as a reserve against future contingencies. In order that this may not be lost, Cailicles buys the house of Lesbonicus for a small sum. Ignorant of his reason for doing so, his fellow-citizens censure him for his conduct, and accuse him of a breach of good faith in ministering to the extravagance of Lesbonicus by supplying him with money. For this reason Megaronides expostulates with his friend Callicles, and greatly censures him; on which, Callicles, in self-defence, entrusts him with the secret of the treasure. Charmides having left behind him a grown-up daughter in the care of Callicles, Lysiteles, a young man of rank and character, falls in love with her, and through his father, Philto, asks her in marriage. Her brother, Lesbonicus, is not averse to the match, but refuses to let her marry without giving her a portion; and he offers her to Lysiteles, on condition that he will receive as her marriage-portion a piece of land near the city, the sole remnant of his fortune. This, however, Lysiteles refuses to accept. In the mean time, Callicles, at the suggestion of Megaronides, determines to give the young woman a dowry out of the treasure buried in the house which he has bought; but that Lesbonicus may not suspect whence the money really comes, a Sharper is hired, with instructions to pretend that he brings letters from Charmides with a thousand gold pieces as a portion for his daughter when she should marry. It happens, that while the Sharper is on his way with his pretended errand to the abode of Callicles, Charmides, having unexpectedly returned to Athens , is going towards his house. He meets the Sharper, who discloses his errand and attempts to impose upon Charmides, who thereupon discovers himself Charmides then meets his servant Stasimus, who tells him of the purchase of his house by Callicles, whereon he conceives himself to have been betrayed by his friend. Afterwards, on discovering the truth, he praises the fidelity of Callicles, and bestows his daughter on Lysiteles, with a portion of a thousand gold pieces, and, at the intercession of Lysiteles, he forgives his son Lesbonicus, and informs him that he is to be married to the daughter of Callicles. THE ACROSTIC ARGUMENT. [Supposed to have been written by Priscian the Grammarian.] CHARMIDES, going abroad, entrusts a treasure ( Thesaurum ) secretly hidden, and all his property ( Rem ), to his friend Callicles. He ( Istoc ) being absent, his son wantonly squanders his estate. For ( Nam ) he sells even the house: and Callicles makes purchase of it. His sister, a maiden ( Virgo ) without a dowry, is asked in marriage. That in a less degree ( Minus ), with censure, Callicles may bestow on her a dowry, he commissions one ( Mandat ) to say that he has brought the gold from her father. When ( Ut ) the Counterfeit has reached the house, the old man ( Senex ), Charmides, as he has just returned, disappoints him; his children then are married. (Enter LUXURY and POVERTY. The Prologue : This Prologue is one of the few figurative ones to be found in the Comedies of Plautus. He appropriately represents Luxury as introducing her daughter Poverty to the abode of the dissipated Lesbonicus. Claudian has a somewhat similar passage in his poem to Rufinus: Et Luxus, populator opum, cui, semper adhaerens, Infelix humili gressu comitatur Egestas. And Luxury, the waster of wealth, whom, ever attending, wretched Poverty accompanies with humble step. It has been justly observed, that Plautus here avoids a fault which he often falls into, of acquainting the audience with too much of the plot. LUXURY. Follow me this way, daughter, that you may perform your office. POVERTY. I am following, but I know not what to say will be the end of our journey. LUXURY. ’Tis here. See, this is the house. Now go you in.( (Exit POVERTY, who enters the house of CHARMIDES.) ) (to the AUDIENCE.) Now, that no one of you may be mistaken, in a few words I will conduct you into the right path, if, indeed, you promise to listen to me. First, then, I will now tell you who I am, and who she is who has gone in here (pointing to the house) , if you give your attention. In the first place, Plautus has given me the name of Luxury, and then he has willed that this Poverty should be my daughter. But why, at my suggestion, she has just entered here, listen and give attentive ear while I inform you. There is a certain young man who is living in this house; by my assistance he has squandered away his paternal estate. Since I see that there is nothing left for him to support me, I have given him my daughter, together with whom to pass his life. But expect nothing about the plot of this play: the old men who will come hither will disclose the matter to you. The name of this play in the Greek is The Treasure [Thesaurus] ; Philemon wrote it Philemon wrote it : Not only Philemon, but Menander also, wrote a play, entitled the Treasure. : Plautus translated it into Latin In Latin : Barbare We learn from Festus, and other authors, that the Greeks were in the habit of calling all nations, without exception, but themselves, barbarians. Hence the present expression, which literally meant into barbarous language. , and gave it the name of The Three Pieces of Money [Trinummus] . Now, he begs this of you, that it may be allowed the play to keep that name. Thus much have I to say. Farewell. Attend in silence. (Exit.) (Enter MEGARONIDES.) MEGARONIDES To reprove one’s friend for a fault that deserves it, is a thankless task; but sometimes ’tis useful and ’tis profitable. Therefore, this day will I soundly reprove my friend for a fault that much deserves it. Unwilling am I, did not my friendship bid me do it. For this faultiness has encroached too much upon good morals, so drooping now are nearly all of them. But while they are in this distempered state, bad morals, in the mean time, have sprung up most plenteously, like well-watered plants; nor is there now anything abundant here but these same bad morals. Of them you may now reap a most plenteous harvest: and here a set of men are making the favour of a few of much more value than that in which they may benefit the many. Thus private interests outdo that which is to the public advantage—interests which in many points are a hindrance, and a nuisance, and cause an obstruction both to private and to public welfare. (Enter CALLICLES.) CALLICLES (as he enters.) I wish our household God Household God : Literally, Lar. The Lares were the household Gods, or tutelary Deities of each family. The figures of them were kept, among the Romans, near the hearth, in the Lararium which was a recess formed for that purpose, and in which prayers were offered up on rising in the morning. There were both public and private Lares. The latter were by some thought to have been identical with the Manes, or shades, of the ancestors of the family occupying the house. The public Lares were the Urbani, presiding over the cities; Rustici, over the country; Compitales, over crossroads; and Marini, over the sea. Varro tells us that there were 265 stations for the statues of the Lares at the corner of the streets of Rome . Lar was an Etrurian word, signifying noble, or lord. The Greeks adorned their household Gods with the leaves of the plane-tree, the Romans with ears of corn. This was especially done on entering a new house, on which the wish was expressed that it might turn out prosperous, lucky, happy, and fortunate to the new occupants. Quod bonum, faustum, felix, fortunatumque sit. Callicles here expresses this wish on taking possession of the house which he has just bought of Lesbonicus. to be graced with a chaplet. Wife Wife : Being at the door of his house, before shutting it, he calls to his wife within. His kind wish as to the duration of her life he expresses just as he shuts the door. (addressing her within) , pay him due respect, that this dwelling may turn out for us prosperous, lucky, happy, and fortunate; and (in a lower voice) that, as soon as I possibly may, I may see you dead and gone. MEGARONIDES This is he who in his old age has become a child Has become a child : He means to say that he has become a boy from the fact of his being in need of correction. —who has been guilty of a fault that deserves correction. I will accost the man. CALLICLES (looking around.) Whose voice is it that sounds near me? MEGARONIDES Of one who wishes you well, if you are as I desire you to be; but, if you are otherwise, of one who is your enemy, and is angry with you. CALLICLES Health to you, O my friend and years’-mate! How are you, Megaronides? MEGARONIDES And, i’ faith And i’ faith : Hercle, by Hercules; Ecastor, by Castor, Edepol, by Pollux, or by the temple of Pollux, and Pol, by Pollux, were the every-day oaths in the mouths of the Romans, and were used for the purpose of adding weight to the asseverations of the speaker. A literal translation of them throughout this work would hardly be in accordance with the euphony required by the English ear. They are therefore rendered throughout by such expressions as i’ faith, troth, by my troth, etc. health to you, Callicles! Are you well? Have you been well? CALLICLES I am well, and I have been still better. MEGARONIDES And how does your wife do? How is she? CALLICLES Better than I wish. MEGARONIDES ’Tis well, i’ faith, for you, that she is alive and well CALLICLES Troth, I believe that you are glad if I have any misfortune.