The Captiva and The Mostellaria | Page 2

was taken prisoner, he
has spared no expense to rescue his son [10]. In order that he may more
easily bring him back home, be buys both of these of the Quaestors [11]
out of the spoil.
Now they, between themselves, have contrived this plan, that, by
means of it, the servant may send away hence his master home. And
therefore among themselves they change their garments and their
names. He, there (pointing), is called Philocrates; this one (pointing),
Tyndarus; he this day assumes the character of this one, this one of him.
And this one to-day will cleverly carry out this plot, and cause his
master to gain his liberty; and by the same means he will save his own
brother, and without knowing it, will cause him to return back a free
man to his own country to his father, just as often now, on many
occasions, a person has done more good unknowingly than knowingly.
But unconsciously, by their devices, they have so planned and devised
their plot, and have so contrived it by their design, that this one is living
in servitude with his own father. And thus now, in ignorance, he is the
slave of his own father. What poor creatures are men, when I reflect
upon it! This plot will be performed by us--a play for your
entertainment. But there is, besides, a thing which, in a few words, I
would wish to inform you of. Really, it will be worth your while to give
your attention to this play. 'Tis not composed in the hackneyed style,
nor yet like other plays, nor are there in it any ribald lines [12] unfit for
utterance: here is neither the perjured procurer, nor the artful courtesan,
nor yet the braggart captain. Don't you be afraid because I've said that
there's war between the Aetoliains and the Eleans. There (pointing), at
a distance, beyond the scenes, the battles will be fought. For this were
almost impossible for a Comic establishment[13], that we should at a
moment attempt to be acting Tragedy. If, therefore, any one is looking
for a battle, let him commence the quarrel; if he shall find an adversary
more powerful, I'll cause him to be the spectator of a battle that isn't
pleasant to him, so that hereafter he shall hate to be a spectator of them
all. I now retire. Fare ye well, at home, most upright judges, and in

warfare most valiant combatants.
[Footnote 1: Because--they are both)--Ver. 2. This is apparently
intended as a piece of humour, in catching or baulking the audience. He
begins as though he was going to explain why the captives are standing
there, and ends his explanation with saying that they are standing
because they are not sitting. A similar truism is uttered by Pamphila, in
the Stichus, l. 120.]
[Footnote 2: In Elis)--Ver. 9. Elis, or, as it is called by Plautus, "Alis,"
was a city of Achaia, in the north-western part of the Peloponnesus.
Near it the Olympic games were celebrated.]
[Footnote 3: That man at a distance)--Ver. 11. One of the audience,
probably a plebeian who has no seat, but is standing in a remote part of
the theatre, is supposed to exclaim in a rude manner that he cannot hear
what the actor says. On this the speaker tells him that he had better
come nearer; and if he cannot find a seat, there is room for him to walk
away. Possibly the verb "ambulo" may be intended to signify in this
case either "to walk" or "to stand," in contradistinction to sitting. Rost,
with some reason, suggests "abscedito" "walk out," in place of
"accedito," "come nearer."]
[Footnote 4: To bawl like a beggar)--Ver. 13. Commentators have
differed as to the meaning of this passage. Some think that he means
that with the view of pleasing the plebeian part of the audience, he shall
not bawl out like a beggar asking alms; while others suppose that the
meaning is, that he will not run the risk of cracking his voice, after
which be will be hissed off the stage, and so be reduced to beggary.]
[Footnote 5: To pay your taxes)--Ver. 15. By this he shows that the
party whom he is addressing, is either one of the lowest plebeians or a
slave. In the assessment or census, which was made by the Censors, the
slaves were not numbered at all, being supposed to have no "caput," or
"civil condition." The lowest century were the "proletarii," whose only
qualification was the being heads of families, or fathers of children. In
addressing those who are reckoned in the census "ope vestra," "by your
means" or "circumstances," he seems to be rebuking the "proletarii,"

who had no such standing, and who probably formed the most noisy