Perde 2
[Textpart 6]
You’re undone!
STALINO
Give attention, both of you.
STALINO
Now you, Cleostrata, that you may not say that anything has been done cheatingly by me in this matter, or suspect it,
I give you leave, do you yourself draw the lots.
395
OLYMPIO
You are ruining me.
395
CHALINUS
He’s gaining an advantage rather.
395
CLEOSTRATA
You do what’s fair.
CHALINUS
I pray the Gods that your lot say run away out of the urn.
OLYMPIO
Say you so? Because you are a runaway yourself, do you wish all to follow your example? I wish, indeed, that that lot of yours, as they say that of the descendants of HerculesDescendants of Hercules: Pausanias says that the sons of Aristo demus and Cresphontes drew lots, on condition that the party whose lot came first out of the urn should receive Messenia, and the other Lacedaemon. Temenus, favouring Cresphontes, placed the lots in the water, taking care that the one belonging to Cresphontes should be of baked clay, while the other was of clay only dried in the sun, which of course melted on coming in contact with the water; by which stratagem Cresphontes gained possession of Messenia. Apollodorus relates the same story in a different manner. He says that Temenus, Procles and Eurysthenes, the sons of Aristodemus, jointly, and Cresphontes, drew lots, on condition that the one whose lot should appear first should have Argos, the second have Lacedaemon, and the third Messenia. Cresphlontes having long set his mind upon gaining Messenia, had his lot made of unbaked clay, which melted; the others being taken out, there was no necessity to look for the remaining one, and thus the trick succeeded. once did, may melt away while the lots are drawing.
CHALINUS
And you, that you may melt away yourself, and just now be made hot with twigs.
400
STALINO
Attend, will you, to the business in hand, Olympio!
OLYMPIO
Yes, if this thrice-dottedThrice-dotted: Literatus. Lambinus thinks that this alludes to his back being marked by stripes. There is, however, more reason to believe that it refers to the custom of branding slaves and criminals. The Greeks marked criminals on the forehead with Θ, the beginning of the word θάνατος, to denote that they were dead in law. fellow ’ll let me.
STALINO
May this prove lucky and fortunate to me.
OLYMPIO
Yes indeed; to me as well.
OLYMPIO
By my troth, yes, I say.
CHALINUS
By my troth, yes, for myself, I say.
STALINO
He’ll be the winner; you’ll live in wretchedness.
Do you give him a punch in the face this instant! Well, what are you about?
