Produced by David Starner, Blain Nelson, Ted Garvin and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team THE CAPTIVI AND THE MOSTELLARIA OF PLAUTUS Literally Translated _with notes_ BY HENRY THOMAS RILEY, B. A. DRAMATIS PERSONAE. HEGIO, an Aetolian, father of Philopolemus. PHILOCRATES, an Elean, captive in Aetolia. TYNDARUS, his servant. ARISTOPHONTES, an Elean, captive in Aetolia. PHILOPOLEMUS, an Aetolian, captive in Elis. ERGASILUS, a Parasite. STALAGAMUS, the servant of Hegio. A SLAVE of Hegio. A LAD, the same. _Scene_.--A place in Aetolia. THE ACROSTIC ARGUMENT [1]. [Supposed to have been written by Priseian the Grammarian.] _One_ son of Hegio has been made prisoner (_Captus_) in battle. A runaway slave has sold the other (_Alium_) when four years old. The father (_Pater_) traffics in Elean captives, only (_Tantum_) desirous that he may recover his son, and (_Et_) among these he buys his son that was formerly lost. He (_Is_), his clothes and his name changed with his master, causes that (_Ut_) he is lost _to Hegio_; _and_ he himself is punished. And (_Et_) he brings back the captive and the runaway together, through whose information (_Indicio_) he discovers his other. [Footnote 1: In this Acrostic it will be found that the old form of "Capteivei" is preserved.] * * * * * THE PROLOGUE. These two captives (_pointing to_ PHILOCRATES _and_ TYNDARUS), whom you see standing here, are standing here because--they are both [1] standing, _and_ are not sitting. That I am saying this truly, you are my witnesses. The old man, who lives here (_pointing to_ HEGIO's _house_), is Hegio--his father (_pointing to_ TYNDARUS). But under what circumstances he is the slave of his own father, that I will here explain to you, if you give attention. This old man had two sons; a slave stole one child when four years old, and flying hence, he sold him in Elis [2], to the father of this _captive_ (_pointing to_ PHILOCRATES). Now, do you understand this? Very good. I' faith, that man at a distance [3] there (_pointing_) says, no. Come nearer _then_. If there isn't room for you to sit down, there is for you to walk; since you'd be compelling an actor to bawl like a beggar [4]. I'm not going to burst myself for your sake, _so_ don't you be mistaken. You who are enabled by your means to pay your taxes [5], listen to the rest [6]; I care not to be in debt to another. This runaway _slave_, as I said before, sold his _young_ master, whom, when he fled, he had carried off, to this one's father. He, after he bought him, gave him as his own private slave [7] to this son of his, because they were of about the same age. He is now the slave at home of his own father, nor does his father know it. Verily, the Gods do treat us men just like footballs [8]. You hear the manner _now_ how he lost one _son_. Afterwards, the Aetolians [9] are waging war with the people of Elis, _and_, as happens in warfare, the other son is taken prisoner.