Plautus Rudens 1060-2:: 'Diphilus' scripsit, Maccus vortit barbare

Since the ‘tug of war’ between Trachalio and Gripus (938-1044) is stalemated and neither of the opposing parties emerges victorious, the two agree to refer the issue to the arbitration of Daemones (1045 ff.); each slave is convinced that he has managed to trick the other by choosing an arbitrator he believes to be biased in his favor. After a few lines of greetings and enquiries Daemones decides to get down to the essence of the dispute in question (1060-2): DAE. Quid est? qua de re litigatis nunc inter vos? TR. Eloquar. GR. Immo ego eloquar. TR. Ego, opinor, rem facesso. GR. Si quidem sis pudicus, hinc facessas. DAE. What’s the matter? What are you arguing about? TR. I’ll explain. GR. No, I’ll explain. TR. If I’m not mistaken, I’m the one bringing the case. GR. If you were a decent person, you’d get out of here. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2007.