MERCVRIVS DEUS SOSIA SERVUS IVPPITER DEUS ALCVMENA MATRONA AMPHITRVO DUX BLEPHARO GUBERNATOR BROMIA ANCILLA MERCURY, _a god._ SOSIA, _slave of Amphitryon._ JUPITER, _a god._ ALCMENA, _wife of Amphitryon._ AMPHITRYON, _commander-in-chief of the Theban army._ BLEPHARO, _a pilot._ BROMIA, _maid to Alcmena._ _Scaena Thebis._ _Scene:--Thebes. A street before Amphitryon’s house._ PROLOGVS[3] PROLOGUE [Footnote 3: The genuineness of the Prologues of these plays has long been a moot question. The tendency of the more recent investigators has been to hold that all were, at least in part, written by Plautus himself.] MERCVRIVS DEVS SPOKEN BY THE GOD MERCURY Ut vos in vostris voltis mercimoniis emundis vendundisque me laetum lucris adficere atque adiuvare in rebus omnibus et ut res rationesque vostrorum omnium bene me expedire voltis peregrique et domi bonoque atque amplo auctare perpetuo lucro quasque incepistis res quasque inceptabitis, According as ye here assembled would have me prosper you and bring you luck in your buyings and in your sellings of goods, yea, and forward you in all things; and according as ye all would have me find your business affairs and speculations happy outcome in foreign lands and here at home, and crown your present and future undertakings with fine, fat profits for evermore; et uti bonis vos vostrosque omnis nuntiis me adficere voltis, ea adferam, ea uti nuntiem quae maxime in rem vostram communem sient-- 10 nam vos quidem id iam scitis concessum et datum mi esse ab dis aliis, nuntiis praesim et lucro--: haec ut me voltis adprobare adnitier,[4] (13) ita huic facietis fabulae silentium (15) itaque aequi et iusti his eritis omnes arbitri. and according as ye would have me bring you and all yours glad news, reporting and announcing matters which most contribute to your common good (for ye doubtless are aware ere now that ’tis to me the other gods have yielded and granted plenipotence o’er messages and profits); according as ye would have me bless you in these things, then in such degree will ye (_suddenly dropping his pomposity_) keep still while we are acting this play and all be fair and square judges of the performance. Nunc cuius iussu venio et quam ob rem venerim dicam simulque ipse eloquar nomen meum. Iovis iussu venio, nomen Mercurio est mihi. pater huc me misit ad vos oratum meus, 20 tam etsi, pro imperio vobis quod dictum foret, scibat facturos, quippe qui intellexerat vereri vos se et metuere, ita ut aequom est Iovem;