" Simo means it
in the former, while Tranio chooses to take it in the latter sense. Simo
does not like this attempt at wit, and tells him not to be impertinent.
We may here observe, that Plautus was born at Sarsina, a town of
Umbria.]
[Footnote 7: _Agathocles_)--Ver. 761. Agathocles rose from the
station of a potter to be king of Sicily.]
[Footnote 8: _To blow and swallow_)--Ver. 777. Or "exhale and
inhale." A proverbial expression, very similar to that in use with us,
that "a person cannot blow hot and cold at the same time."]
[Footnote 9: _Reaps on his own farm_)--Ver. 785. A country proverb,
meaning "every one for himself."]
[Footnote 10: _Away with any one to show_)--Ver. 804. He says this,
not liking the mention of the word "perductor," which, beside meaning an
"attendant" or "one to escort," signifies a "pander" or "procurer." So
in the next line, "perducto" means "to show over" or "to act the
procurer."]
[Footnote 11: _ Foreign pulse-eating artisan_)--Ver. 817. From the
use of the word "pultiphagus," he probably alludes to Carthaginian
workmen, who were very skilful at working in wood. In the Poenulus,
Hanno the Carthaginian is called "patruus pultiphagonides," "the pulse-
eating kinsman." If this is the meaning, it is pretty clear that he is
not speaking in praise of the workmanship. Some, however, think that as,
in early times, the lower classes at Rome lived upon "puls," "pap" or
"pottage," the Scene being at Athens, Roman workmen are alluded to; if
so, he may mean to speak in praise of the work, and to say that no
bungling artists made the doors.
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