Miles Gloriosus

Plautus, Titus Maccius

Plautus. The Comedies of Plautus, Volume 1. Riley, H. T., translator. London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1912.

  1. Why, I have one, a dependant of mine, a courtesan, a very young woman. But what is the occasion for her?
PALAESTRIO
  1. For you to bring her home at once to your house as your wife, and, for that reason, to bring her there dressed out, so that she may wear her locks with her hair arranged, and fillets after the fashion of matrons[*](The fashion of matrons: The vittawas a band which encircled the head, and served to confine the tresses of the hair. It was worn by maidens, and by married women also, among the Romans; but that assumed on the day of marriage was of a different form from that used by the virgins. It was not worn by women of light character, or even by the libertinae, or liberated female slaves; so that it was not only deemed an emblem of chastity, but of freedom also. White and purple are among the colours of the vittawhich we find mentioned.), and may pretend that she is your wife; so you must instruct her.
PERIPLECOMENUS
  1. I am at a loss what road you are taking.
PALAESTRIO
  1. Well, you shall know. But what sort of a maid has she?
PERIPLECOMENUS
  1. She is a rare clever one.
PALAESTRIO
  1. We have need of her as well; so give your instructions to the damsel and her maid, to pretend that she is your wife and is doting upon this Captain; and as though she had given this ring to her maid, then she to me, that I might deliver it to the Captain; and I must be as though it were a go-between in this matter.
PERIPLECOMENUS
  1. I hear you; don’t stun my ears as if I were deaf.
PALAESTRIO
  1. I myself will go straightway to him; I’ll say that it has been brought and delivered to me from your wife, in order that I might introduce her to him. He’ll be distractedly longing for her at home, a scoundrel that cares for nothing else whatever but intriguing.
PERIPLECOMENUS
  1. If you had commissioned the Sun himself to search them out, he couldn’t have found, better than myself, two more cleverly suited for this business. Be of good courage about it.
PALAESTRIO
  1. Take you every care then. There is need of despatch. (Exit PERIPLECOMENUS.)
PALAESTRIO
  1. Now, do you listen, Pleusicles.
PLEUSICLES
  1. I am all attention to you.
PALAESTRIO
  1. Take care of this. When the Captain comes home, do you remember not to call Philocomasium by her name.
PLEUSICLES
  1. What am I to call her?
PALAESTRIO
  1. Glycera.
PLEUSICLES
  1. The same, you mean, that was agreed upon a little time since.
PALAESTRIO
  1. Hush!—Be off.
PLEUSICLES
  1. I’ll remember; but still I don’t know what use it is to keep it in my mind.
PALAESTRIO
  1. But I will tell you, at the time, when occasion shall require. Meanwhile, be quiet; so that, bye and bye, when he too shall be acting his part[*](Acting his part: He alludes to Periplecomenus, who has just left him.), you may, on the instant, be minding your cue.