PHAEDRIA PVELLA
TIBICINAE

THE HOUSEHOLD GOD OF EUCLIO, _the Prologue._
EUCLIO, _an old gentleman of Athens._
STAPHYLA, _his old slave._
EUNOMIA, _a lady of Athens_
MEGADORUS, _an old gentleman of Athens, Eunomia's brother._
PYTHODICUS, _his slave_
CONGRIO, _cook._
ANTHRAX, _cook._
STROBILUS, _slave of Lyconides._
LYCONIDES, _a young gentleman of Athens, Eunomia's son._
PHAEDRIA, _Euclio's daughter._
MUSIC GIRLS.

_Scene:--Athens. A street on which are the houses of
Euclio and Megadorus, a narrow lane between them, in
front an altar._

PROLOGVS

PROLOGUE

LAR FAMILIARIS

SPOKEN BY EUCLIO'S HOUSEHOLD GOD

Ne quis miretur qui sim, paucis eloquar
ego Lar sum familiaris ex hac familia
unde exeuntem me aspexistis. hanc domum
iam multos annos est cum possideo et colo
patri avoque iam huius qui nunc hic habet
sed mi avos huius obsecrans concredidit
thensaurum auri clam omnis. in medio foco
defodit, venerans me ut id servarem sibi.

That no one may wonder who I am, I shall inform you briefly.
I am the Household God of that family from whose house you
saw me come. For many years now I have possessed this
dwelling, and preserved it for the sire and grandsire of its
present occupant. Now this man's grandsire as a suppliant
entrusted to me, in utter secrecy, a hoard of gold: he
buried it in the centre of the hearth, entreating me to
guard it for him.

is quoniam moritur--ita avido ingenio fuit--
numquam indicare id filio voluit suo, 10
inopemque optavit potius eum relinquere,
quam eum thensaurum commonstraret filio;
agri reliquit ei non magnum modum,
quo cum labore magno et misere viveret.

When he died he could not bear--so covetous was he--to
reveal its existence to his own son, and he chose to leave
him penniless rather than apprise him of this treasure. Some
land, a little only, he did leave him, whereon to toil and
moil for a miserable livelihood.

Ubi is obiit mortem qui mihi id aurum credidit,
coepi observare, ecqui maiorem filus
mihi honorem haberet quam eius habuisset pater.
atque ille vero minus minusque impendio
curare minusque me impertire honoribus.
item a me contra factum est, nam item obiit diem. 20
is ex se hunc reliquit qui hi