The Comedies of Plautus, Vol. II

you are dead if you have not beaten him badly even to the point of death.
And furthermore, so that they do not break the gambling laws,
take care that they hold their banquet at home without dice. 10

Pa. I do not know what wrongdoing has happened here by our household, as far as
I hear:
this old man has ordered my fellow slaves’ ankles to be broken.
But he has spared me: I do not care what he does to the others.
I will approach the man. Pe. Is this Palaestrio who is approaching?
Pa. What are you doing, Periplectomenus? Pe. There are not many men 15

if I had to choose,
whom I would rather see and meet right now than you. Pa. What
is it?
Why are you making such a commotion with our household? Pe. We are ruined.
Pa. What is the matter? Pe. The thing is out in the open. Pa. What thing
is out in the open? Pe. About the roof tiles;
some member of your household just peered in
through our impluvium atrium opening at Philocomasium and her guest 20

kissing inside. Pa. What man saw that? Pe. Your fellow slave.
Pa. What man is that?
Pe. I do not know; he took himself off so suddenly. Pa. I suspect
that I am ruined. Pe. When he left, I shouted: 'Hey, what are you doing,'
I said, 'on the tiles?'
As he was leaving, he answered me like this: 'he was chasing a monkey.'