Dramatis Personae SIMO, From σιμὸς, flat-nosed. an aged Athenian. PAMPHILUS, From πᾶν, all, and φιλὸς, a friend. son of Simo. SOSIA, From σώζω, to save; saved in war. freedman of Simo. CHREMES, From χρέμπτομαι, to spit. an aged Athenian. CHARINUS, From χάρις, grace. a young Athenian, in love with Philumena. CRITO, From κριτὴς, a judge. a native of Andros . DAVUS, From Dacia , his native country; the Davi and Daci being the same people. servant of Simo. DROMO, From δρόμος, a race. servant of Simo. BYRRHIA, From πυρ red-haired. servant of Charinus. GLYCERIUM, From γλυκερὸς, sweet. a young woman beloved by Pamphilus. MYSIS, From Mysia , her native country. her maid-servant. LESBIA From Lesbos , her native country. a midwife. Scene.— Athens ; before the houses of SIMO and GLYCERIUM. THE SUBJECT. CHREMES and Phania were brothers, citizens of Athens . Chremes going to Asia , leaves his daughter, Pasibula, in the care of his brother Phania, who, afterward setting sail with Pasibula for Asia , is wrecked off the Isle of Andros . Escaping with their lives, they are kindly received by a native of the island; and Phania soon afterward dies there. The Andrian changes the name of the girl to Glycerium, and brings her up, as his own child, with his daughter Chrysis. On his death, Chrysis and Glycerium sail for Athens to seek their fortune there. Chrysis being admired by several Athenian youths, Pamphilus, the son of Simo, an opulent citizen, chances to see Glycerium, and falls violently in love with her. She afterward becomes pregnant by him, on which he makes her a promise of marriage. In the mean time, Chremes, who is now living at Athens , and is ignorant of the fate of Pasibula, agrees with Simo, the father of Pamphilus, to give Philumena, another daughter, in marriage to Pamphilus. While these arrangements are being made, Chrysis dies; on which Simo accidentally discovers his son’s connection with Glycerium. Chremes, also coming to hear of it, declines the match, having no idea that Glycerium is really his own daughter. Simo, however, in order to test his son’s feelings, resolves to pretend that the marriage-day is fixed. Meeting Pamphilus in the town, he desires him to go home and prepare for the wedding, which is to take place immediately. In his perplexity, the youth has recourse to his servant Davus, who, having heard of the refusal of Chremes, suspects the design of Simo. At this conjuncture, Charinus, a friend of Pamphilus, who is enamored of Philumena, but has been rejected by her father, entreats Pamphilus to put off the marriage, for at least a few days. Disclosing his own aversion to the match, Pamphilus readily engages to do this. In order the more effectually to break it off, Davus advises Pamphilus to pretend a readiness to comply with his father’s wishes, supposing that of course Chremes will steadily persist in his refusal. Pamphilus does as he is advised, on which Simo again applies to Chremes, who, after some entreaty, gives his consent. Just at this conjuncture, Glycerium is delivered of a son; and by the advice of Davus, it is laid before the door of Simo’s house. Chremes happening to see it there, and ascertaining that Pamphilus is its father, again refuses to give him his daughter. At this moment, Crito, a native of Andros , arrives, who, being a relative of Chrysis, has come to Athens to look after her property. Through him, Chremes discovers that Glycerium is no other than his long-lost daughter, Pasibula; on which he consents to her immediate marriage with Pamphilus, who promises Charinus that he will use his best endeavors to obtain for him the hand of Philumena. THE TITLE OF THE PLAY. PERFORMED at the Megalensian Games; The Megalensian Games These games were instituted at Rome in honor of the Goddess Cybele, when her statue was brought thither from Pessinum, in Asia Minor , by Scipio Nasica; they were so called from the Greek title Μεγάλη Μήτηρ, the Great Mother. They were called Megalesia or Megalensia, indifferently. A very interesting account of the origin of these games will be found in the Fasti of Ovid. B. iv. 1. 194, et seq. M. Fulvius and M. Glabrio being Curule Aediles. Being Curule Aediles Among the other offices of the Aediles at Rome , it was their duty to preside at the public games, and to provide the necessary dramatic representations for the Theatre, by making contracts with the Poets and Actors. Ambivius Turpio and Lucius Atilius Praenestinus Ambivius Turpio and Lucius Atilius Proenestinus These persons were the heads or managers of the company of actors who performed the Play, and as such it was their province to make the necessary contracts with the Curule Aediles. They were also actors themselves, and usually took the leading characters. Ambivius Turpio seems to have been a favorite with the Roman public, and to have performed for many years; of L. Atilius Praenestinus nothing is known. performed it. Flaccus, the freedman of Claudius, Freedman of Claudius According to some, the words, Flaccus Claudi mean the son of Claudius. It is, however, more generally thought that it is thereby meant that he was the freedman or liberated slave of some Roman noble of the family of the Claudii. composed the music, to a pair of treble flutes and bass flutes Treble flutes and bass flutes The history of ancient music, and especially that relative to the tibiae, pipes or flutes, is replete with obscurity. It is not agreed what are the meanings of the respective terms, but in the present Translation the following theory has been adopted: The words dextrae and sinistrae denote the kind of flute, the former being treble, the latter bass flutes, or, as they were sometimes called, incentiveae or succentivae; though it has been thought by some that they were so called because the former were held with the right hand, the latter with the left. When two treble flutes or two bass flutes were played upon at the same time, they were called tibiae pares; but when one was dextra and the other sinistra, tibiae impares. Hence the words paribus dextris et sinistris, would mean alternately with treble flutes and bass flutes. Two tibiae were often played upon by one performer at the same time. For a specimen of a Roman tibicen or piper, see the last scene of the Stichus of Plautus. Some curious information relative to the pipers of Rome and the legislative enactments respecting them will be found in the Fasti of Ovid, B. vi. 1. 653, et seq. alternately. And it is entirely Grecian. It is entirely Grecian This means that the scene is in Greece , and that it is of the kind called palliata, as representing the manners of the Greeks, who wore the pallium, or outer cloak; whereas the Romans wore the toga. In the Prologue, Terence states that he borrowed it from the Greek of Menander. Published—M. Marcellus and Cneius Sulpicius being Consuls. Being Consuls M. Claudius Marcellus and C. Sulpicius Galba were Consuls in the year from the building of Rome 586, and B.C. 167 . THE SUMMARY OF C. SULPITIUS APOLLINARIS. PAMPHILUS seduces Glycerium, wrongfully supposed to be a sister of a Courtesan, an Andrian by birth; and she having become pregnant, he gives his word that she shall be his wife; but his father has engaged for him another, the daughter of Chremes; and when he discovers the intrigue he pretends that the nuptials are about to take place, desiring to learn what intentions his son may have. By the advice of Davus, Pamphilus does not resist; but Chremes, as soon as he has seen the little child born of Glycerium, breaks off the match, and declines him for a son-in-law. Afterward, this Glycerium, un-expectedly discovered to be his own daughter, he bestows as a wife on Pamphilus, the other on Charinus. PROLOGUE. THE POET, when first he applied his mind to writing, thought that the only duty which devolved on him was, that the Plays he should compose might please the public. But he perceives that it has fallen out entirely otherwise; for he is wasting his labor in writing Prologues, not for the purpose of relating the plot, but to answer the slanders of a malevolent old Poet. A malevolent old Poet : He alludes to Luscus Lanuvinus, or Lavinius, a Comic Poet of his time, but considerably his senior. He is mentioned by Terence in all his Prologues except that to the Hecyra, and seems to have made it the business of his life to run down his productions and discover faults in them. Now I beseech you, give your attention to the thing which they impute as a fault. Menander composed the Andrian Composed the Andrian : This Play, like that of our author, took its name from the Isle of Andros , one of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea , where Glycerium is supposed to have been born. Donatus, the Commentator on Terence, informs us that the first Scene of this Play is almost a literal translation from the Perinthian of Menander, in which the old man was represented as discoursing with his wife just as Simo does here with Sosia. In the Andrian of Menander, the old man opened with a soliloquy. and the Perinthian. And the Perinthian : This Play was so called from Perinthus, a town of Thrace , its heroine being a native of that place. He who knows either of them well, will know them both; they are in plot not very different, and yet they have been composed in different language and style. What suited, he confesses he has transferred into the Andrian from the Perinthian, and has employed them as his own. These parties censure this proceeding; and on this point they differ from him, that Plays ought not to be mixed up together. By being thus knowing, do they not show that they know nothing at all? For while they are censuring him, they are censuring Naevius, Plautus, and Ennius, Noevius, Plautus, and Ennius : Ennius was the oldest of these three Poets. Naevius a contemporary of Plautus. See a probable allusion to his misfortunes in the Miles Gloriosus of Plautus, l. 211. whom our Poet has for his precedents; whose carelessness he prefers to emulate, rather than the mystifying carefulness The mystifying carefulness : By obscuram diligentiam he means that formal degree of precision which is productive of obscurity. of those parties. Therefore, I advise them to be quiet in future, and to cease to slander; that they may not be made acquainted with their own misdeeds. Be well disposed, then; attend with unbiased mind, and consider the matter, that you may determine what hope is left; whether the Plays which he shall in future compose anew, are to be witnessed, or are rather to be driven off the stage. (Enter SIMO and SOSIA, followed by SERVANTS carrying provisions.) SIMO (to the Servants.) Do you carry those things away in-doors; begone. (Beckoning to SOSIA.) Sosia, just step here; I want a few words with you. SOSIA Consider it as said; that these things are to be taken care of, I suppose. Are to be taken care of, I suppose : Nempe ut curentur recte haec. Colman here remarks; Madame Dacier will have it that Simo here makes use of a kitchen term in the word curentur. I believe it rather means to take care of any thing generally; and at the conclusion of this very scene, Sosia uses the word again, speaking of things very foreign to cookery, Sat est, curabo . SIMO No, it’s another matter. SOSIA What is there that my ability can effect for you more than this? SIMO There’s no need of that ability in the matter which I have in hand; but of those qualities which I have ever known as existing in you, fidelity and secrecy. SOSIA I await your will. SIMO Since I purchased you, you know that, from a little child, your servitude with me has always been easy and light. From a slave I made you my freedman ; To be my freedman : Libertu. was the name given to a slave set at liberty by his master. A libertinu. was the son of a libertus. for this reason, because you served me with readiness. The greatest recompense that I possessed, I bestowed upon you. SOSIA I bear it in mind. SIMO I am not changed. SOSIA If I have done or am doing aught that is pleasing to you, Simo, I am glad that it has been done; and that the same has been gratifying to you, I consider sufficient thanks. But this is a cause of uneasiness to me; for the recital is, as it were, a censure As it were a censure : Among the Greeks (whose manners and sentiments are supposed to be depicted in this Play) it was a maxim that he who did a kindness should forget it, while he who received it should keep it in memory. Sosia consequently feels uneasy, and considers the remark of his master in the light of a reproach. to one forgetful of a kindness. But tell me, in one word, what it is that you want with me. SIMO I’ll do so. In the first place, in this affair I give you notice: this, which you suppose to be such, is not a real marriage. SOSIA Why do you pretend it then? SIMO You shall hear all the matter from the beginning; by that means you’ll be acquainted with both my son’s mode of life and my own design, and what I want you to do in this affair. For after he had passed youthfulness, After he had passed from youthfulness : Ephebus was the name given to a youth when between the ages of sixteen and twenty. Sosia, and had obtained free scope of living, (for before, how could you know or understand his disposition, while youthful age, fear, and a master And a master : See the Notes to the Translation of the Bacchides of Plautus, l. 109, where Lydus, a slave, appears as the paedagogus, or "magister, of Pistoclerus. were checking him?)— SOSIA That’s true. SIMO What all young men, for the most part, do,—devote their attention to some particular pursuit, either to training horses or dogs for hunting, or to the philosophers; Or to the philosophers : It was the custom in Greece with all young men of free birth to apply themselves to the study of philosophy, of course with zeal proportioned to the love of learning in each. They each adopted some particular sect, to which they attached themselves. There is something sarcastic here, and indeed not very respectful to the philosophers, in coupling them as objects of attraction with horses and hounds. in not one of these did he engage in particular beyond the rest, and yet in all of them in a moderate degree. I was pleased.