[75] (1) In hāc etiam aetāte quā nunc est —quī istum dī perduint! multus honōs auribus praefandus est— domus eius tōta lēnōnia, tōta familia contāmināta: ipse prōpudiōsus, uxor lupa, fīliī similēs: (2) prōrsus diebus ac noctibus lūdibriō iuventūtis iānua calcibus prōpulsāta, fenestrae canticīs circumstrepitae, trīclīnium cōmīsātōribus inquiētum, cubiculum adulterīs pervium; neque enim ūllī ad introeundum metus est, nisi quī pretium marītō nōn attulit. (3)Ita eī lectī suī contumēlia vectīgālis est. Ōlim sollers suō, nunc coniugis corpore vulgō meret. Cum ipsō plērīque -- nec mentior! -- cum ipsō, inquam, dē uxōris noctibus pacīscuntur. (4) Iam illa inter virum et uxōrem nōta conlūsiō: quī amplam stipem mulierī dētulērunt, nēmō eōs observat, suō arbitrātū discēdunt; quī ināniōrēs vēnēre, signō datō prō adulterīs dēprehenduntur, et quasi ad discendum vēnerint, nōn prius abeunt quam aliquid scrīpserint.
(5) Quid enim faciat homō miser ampliusculā fortūnā dēvolūtus, quam tamen fraude patris ex inopīnātō invēnerat? Pater eius plūrimīs crēditōribus dēfaenerātus māluit pecūniam quam pudōrem. (6) Nam cum undique versum tabulīs flāgitārētur et quasi īnsānus ab omnibus obviīs tenērētur, (7) 'pāx' inquit, negat posse dissolvere, ānulōs aureōs et omnia īnsignia dignitātis abicit, cum crēditōribus dēpacīscitur. (8) Plēraque tamen reī familiāris in nōmen uxōris callidissimā fraude cōnfert. Ipse egēns, nūdus et ignōminiā suā tūtus relīquit Rufīnō huic – nōn mentior!--, sēstertium XXX dēvorandum. Tantum enim ad eum ex bonīs mātris līberum vēnit, praeter quod eī uxor sua cotīdiānīs dōtibus quaesīvit. (9) Quae tamen omnia in paucīs annīs ita hic dēgulātor studiōsē in ventrem condidit et omnimodīs conlurchinātiōnibus dīlapidāvit, ut crēderēs metuere nē quid habēre ex fraude paternā dīcerētur. (10) Homō iūstus et mōrum dedit operam, quod male partum erat ut male perīret, nec quicquam eī relictum est ex largiōre fortūnā praeter ambitiōnem miseram et profundam gulam.
Vocabulary
praefor –fātus sum: to say first
lēnōnius –a –um: dedicated to prostitution (> leno, pimp)
contāminātus -a -um: defiled, unclean, corrupted
prōpudiōsus –a –um: shameful, vile
lupa lupae f.: prostitute (lit. "she-wolf")
prōrsus: in short, indeed
(2)
lūdibrium –iī n.: capers, hijinks, sport
iuventūs iuventūtis f.: youth, young men
iānua iānuae f.: door
calx calcis f. and rarely m.: kick
prōpulsō (1): to batter, strike
fenestra –ae f.: window
canticum –ī n: song
circumstrepō circumstrepere circumstrepuī circumstrepitum: to surround with noise, make noise around
trīclīnium –iī n.: dining-room
cōmisātor –ōris m.: a reveler, carouser, party-animal
inquiētus –a –um: not quiet, disturbed, noisy
cubiculum –ī n.: bedroom
adulter adulteri m.: adulterer
pervius –a –um: accessible
introeō introīre introiī introitum: to enter
marītus –ī m.: husband
(3)
lēctus -ī m.: bed
contumēlia contumēliae f.: insult
vectīgālis –e: income-producing, profitable
sollers sollertis: skilled, expert
mentior mentīrī mentītus: to lie
(4)
pacīscor pacīscī pactus: to come to an arrangement, bargain
nōtus –a –um: well–known; notorious
conlūsiō –ōnis f.: a secret agreement, collusion
stīps stīpis m: a contribution in money, fee
observō observāre observāvī observātus: to watch, observe
inānis inānis ināne: empty; empty-handed
dēprehendō dēprehendere dēprehendī dēprehensus: to catch, seize
ampliusculus –a –um: somewhat larger
(5)
dēvolvō –ere –volvī –volūtus: (pass. as middle) to sink back, fall back, tumble down
fraus fraudis f.: trick
inopīnātus –a –um: not expected, unexpected
crēditor –ōris m.: a creditor
dēfaenerō –āre –āvī –ātus: to involve in debt
versus: towards, facing
(6)
tabula tabulae f.: document, bill, financial account
flāgitō flāgitāre flāgitāvī flāgitātum: to demand
īnsānus –a –um: insane
obvius obvia obvium: in the way
dissolvō dissolvere dissolvī dissolūtus: to pay a debt
(7)
ānulus –ī m.: ring
īnsīgne īnsīgnis n.: decoration, emblem, insignia
abiciō abicere abiēcī abiectum: to throw down/away
crēditor –ōris m.: a creditor
dēpacīscor –ī –pactus sum: to bargain for, agree upon
rēs familiāris: family property, estate, fortune
(8)
callidus –a –um: clever
fraus fraudis f.: trick, fraud
egēns -ntis: needy, poor
īgnōminia īgnōminiae f.: disgrace
tūtus -a -um: safe
Rūfīnus –ī m.: Herennius Rufinus: allegedly son of a bankrupt father, father of (Herennia).
mentior mentīrī mentītus: to lie
sestertium -ī n.: 100,000 sesterces
dēvorō dēvorāre dēvorāvī dēvorātus: to swallow, devour
cotīdiānus or cottīdiānus –a –um: daily
(9)
dōs dōtis f.: gift, endowment; dowry
dēgulātor –ōris m.: a glutton
studiōsē: eagerly
venter ventris m.: stomach, belly
omnimodus –a –um: of all sorts or kinds
conlurchinātiō –ōnis f.: gross gluttony
dīlapidō –āre –āvī –ātus: to throw away, squander
fraus fraudis f.: fraud, trick
paternus –a –um: paternal, belonging to a father
largus -a -um: big, large
(10)
ambitiō ambitiōnis f.: ambition
profundus –a –um: deep
gula –ae f.: the gullet, throat