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A sign of a new speaker in Plautus and Terence?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

Allan Kershaw
Allan Kershaw
Affiliation:
Penn State University
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Extract

The phrase ei mihi is used fifteen times by Plautus. On all but one occasion these words introduce a new speaker. The single ‘exception’ is, I suggest, rather an error of transmission. I quote the line in context, Bac. 1171–4

NIC. Ni abeas, quamquam tu bella es,

malum tibi magnum dabo iam. BACCH. Patiar,

non metuo, ne quid mihi doleat

quod ferias. NIC. Ut blandiloquast!

ei mihi, metuo. SOR. Hie magis tranquillust.

1173 non – blandiloquast uno versu B 1174 SOROR B: B D

Type
Shorter Notes
Information
The Classical Quarterly , Volume 45 , Issue 1 , May 1995 , pp. 249 - 250
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1995

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References

1 Am.1109; Aul.391, 796; Bac. 411 (twice), 1116, 1174; Men. 303, 843; Mil. 1429; Mos. 265 (= ei mihi misero), 395, 962, 1030; St. 753.

2 Leo, F., Plauti Comoediae (Berlin, 1873Google Scholar ; repr. 1958).

3 Ussing, J. L., T. Macci Plauti Comoediae (Copenhagen, 1875–1887)Google Scholar; I quote from his note, ‘Bacchis haec dicit Nicobulum autpugno aut sublato baculo sibi minantem timere se simulans; sed verisimile est ante haec excidisse minax aliquod Nicobuli verbum.’ (vol. 2, p. 449).

4 As is noted (e.g.) by Adams, J. N., Antichthon 18 (1984) p. 55CrossRefGoogle Scholar. This reference and the one to Zwierlein (n. 5 below) I owe to the anonymous referee of CQ.

5 Zwierlein, Otto, Zur Kritik und Exegese des Plautus IV (Stuttgart, 1992) pp. 106–08Google Scholar.

6 Also answered is the objection to hic magis tranquillust which, if I am correct, is a reaction to Philoxenu' lament: ‘Untragbar istja auch der weder nach vorne noch nach hinten verbundene Einwurf hie magis tranquillust durch die Schwester in 1174, der lediglich wiederholt, was wir schon aus der Unterredung der beiden Bacchides in 1150f. wissen.’

7 An. 322, 622; H.T. 241, 968; Ph. 671, 1004; Ad. 124, 242, 323, 753, 789.

8 Ad. 452; An. 263; Hec. 366 where conventionally a colon precedes, but where ei mihi seems to me to be a parenthesis and, as such, tantamount to a new sentence; Ph. 607.

9 Am. 726; Aul. 200; Capt. 945; Cas. 661; Epid. 50; Mer. 217, 759; Mil.. 180, 1433; Mos. 265, 549; Tru. 794.

10 Cas. 574, 848: ante ei pers. spat. A; Mer. 181, 661, 792; Poen. 1379: ante vae pers. spat. AB; Trin. 907; True. 342.

11 To these should be added vae miserae mi (Mer. 708); this unusual form of the exclamation, placed mid-line, marks a new speaker. Terence has the form vae misero mi (Hau. 250) which also, mid-line, marks a new speaker.

12 Ad. 327; An. 302; Hau. 234; Hec. 605.

13 An. 743; Hau. 917; Ad. 301, 383.

14 Or, if used absolutely as (e.g.) Cas. 848, Trin. 907, the equivalent of a sentence; cf. on Hec. 366 (n. 8 above). I thank the anonymous referee of helpful criticisms and suggestions.