Reading Hints Act II

ACT II o frater, frater  Text

Enter the young man Aeschinus, elder son of Demea, adopted by Micio, with a sweet young thing (Bacchis), a slave and hefty strong-armed pimp-beater (Parmeno) and Sannio, "a gentleman and a procurer." There follows an altercation between Aeschinus and Sannio over the woman. Sannio gets slapped around and the young woman is escorted into Aeschinus' house.

Further threats to Sannio elicit from him the indignant words directed at Aeschinus, o hominem impurum!, an example of the accusative of exclamation and a delightful irony, considering Sannio's profession. Soon they get down to business (ad rem redi) and Aeschinus agrees to pay twenty minae (cost price) for the girl and threatens that if Sannio refuses to sell, he will bring suit and allege that the woman is free-born and should not be sold at all. That way, at the very least he will delay paying Sannio and maybe even get her for free.

Enter Syrus the servus callidus (or smart-aleck slave) who will try to trick Sannio and anyone else who stands in the way of true love and good fish.

With the entrance of Ctesipho, the younger brother brought up in the country to be a goody-two-shoes, for whom the girl was liberated, Sannio's presence is ignored; first while Ctesipho praises his brother to the skies and then for the happy reunion of the two brothers, in which Ctesipho shyly expesses his gratitude to his big brother and Aeschinus teases his little brother for his bashfulness.

It is agreed to pay Sannio. Syrus and Aeschinus go off to the forum to take care of business, leaving Ctesipho apprehensive about his old dad finding out. Nevertheless he goes inside to spend a happy day with his fancy woman.

The contrast between the two youths, one shy, retiring, unable to act on his own; the other vigorous, active, ready to do and dare regardless of the consequences, but both devoted and loyal to each other and at heart good boys, is part of Terence's duality method.

 

II. i reading hints

G: genitive of value A&G 417: read and study examples.

• subvenio aid, help
• inops helpless
• * nunciam = nunc (an emphatic "now")
• * ilico on the spot
• periclum = periculum
• * iterum again, a second time
• vapulo be beaten

165

• accipio deal with, treat
• * i imperative of eo, ire -- abi imperative of abeo, abire
• * ceterum but
• * istuc that way
• propter next to
• cave (+ subjunctive) [like noli + infinitive] = "don't"

170

• quaquam anywhere
• * mora delay
•  innuo nod to
• * quin

• 1. interrogative particle: why not?
• 2. relative: but that, that not
• 3. but indeed, really, yes rather, no rather

• pugnus fist
• continuo immediately, at once
• mala jaw, cheek
• * haereo, -Ere, haesi, haesum stick, cling, be in a jam
• geminabit he will repeat it
• peccato imperative of pecco [see A&G 449]
• qui (179) how

180

• convicium abuse
• abripiere = abripieris (fut pass, what person?)
• operio cover
• lorum, -i, n. strap, whip
• debacchor rave like a bacchant; vent one's spleen
• pernicies ruin, death, destruction

190

emo, -ere, emi, emptum buy

• 194 "I am going to claim her in a lawsuit for freedom" (see note in Martin)
• * minime no, not at all
• verbero beat, whip
• colaphus blow
• tradier = tradi [passive inf.]
• 206 quaestum occipio enter the business
• mussito freq of musso say nothing, keep mum

II. ii Reading hints

Grammar: review forms of the present and future passive

• faxo old future of facio

210

• concerto fight, dispute {cf. certatio, 212)
• * erus master era mistress
• * defessus -a -um [< defetiscor] tired, weary
• * morem gerere and morigeror to humor
• * praebeo furnish, supply, show
• * interdum from time to time, now and then
• lucrum gain, profit
• faenero bring profit, pay with interest

220

• * obsequor, obsequi, obsecutus est comply with, humor, accommodate
• hoc ... animus tibi pendet on this your mind is hanging in the balance (twisting slowly in the wind)
• ut how
• damnum loss

230

• per oppressionem by force
• labasco totter, waver, begin to slip
• alicunde from somewhere

240

• de sorte concerning the principal
• tuber a swelling
• defrudo (defraudo) cheat
• * saltem at least

250

• * laetus -a -um happy
• paullisper for a little while

II. iii-iv Reading notes

G: review subjunctive in independent sentences, A&G 438-447, especially potential subjunctive (445-7) and deliberative (443-4).

• * opus est there is need, it is necessary
• * iuvo [I] help, please
• praecipuus special
• artes "qualities"
• mage = magis [adv] more
• princeps "master of"

260

• ellum = em illum "here he is"

iv

• * tutus -a -um safe, secure
• * coram [adv] in the presence of, in person

270

• assentor agree, flatter (assentandi, tr. as if with gratia)

271 "each other"

• doleo feel pain, suffer; impersonal: to pain
• * sero too late
• * pudet, -Ere, puduit, puditum one feels shame, is ashamed
• pudor, -oris, m. shame, modesty, decency, propriety
• * turpis, -e disgraceful
• dictu [supine with adj.] to say
• mitis, -e mild, gentle, mellow
• absolvo -ere, -vi, -utum loosen from, free, set free, pay off

280

• * quam primum as soon as possible
• permano [I] seep/flow through to, penetrate, reach
• sterno -ere, stravi, stratum spread out, extend