18–20
ADIMANTUS
Well, I shan’t desert my ship even now. Indeed I’ll add to my prayer since I’m allowed. May Hermes Lord of Profit give his consent to all! May the ship and all in her be mine—cargo, merchants, women, sailors, and every sweetest treasure in the world!
SAMIPPUS
You’ve forgotten something that you have on board.
ADIMANTUS
You mean the boy, Samippus, the one with long hair. May he be mine too! And let her cargo of wheat be changed entirely to minted gold, all darics.
LYCINUS
What’s this, Adimantus? Your ship will sink. The weight of wheat and an equivalent volume of gold is not the same.
ADIMANTUS
Don’t grudge it, Lycinus. When you come to your wish, make Parnes there, if you want, all of gold and have it so. I shan’t say a word.
LYCINUS
I was thinking of your own safety, to avoid the loss of all hands with the gold. Indeed your prayer is moderate, but your pretty boy, poor wretch, will drown, not knowing how to swim.
TIMOLAUS
Cheer up, Lycinus. The dolphins will swim up under him and carry him to shore. A lyre-player Arion. was saved by them and received the reward of his song, and the body of another boy Melicertes. was taken in the same way to the Isthmus on a dolphin’s back, so do you think Adimantus’s newly-bought servant will be in want of a loving dolphin?
ADIMANTUS
You’re copying Lycinus, Timolaus. You’re piling up the quips. It was your idea, you know.
5
TIMOLAUS
Better make it more credible and find some treasure under your bed. Then you won’t have trouble in transferring the gold from the ship to Athens.
