Sos.

  Quonam modo?

      Exalted!  How is that?

Mer.

  Auferere, non abibis, si ego fustem sumpsero.

      You shall be carried off on people’s shoulders—­no walking—­
      once I take my club to you.

Sos.

  Quin me esse huius familiai familiarem praedico.

      I’m a member of the household here, I do avow.

Mer.

  Vide sis quam mox vapulare vis, nisi actutum hinc abis. 360

      Kindly consider how soon you want a thrashing, unless you
      vanish instantly.

Sos.

  Tun domo prohibere peregre me advenientem postulas?

      So you want to forbid me the house when I’m getting back
      from foreign parts, you?

Mer.

  Haecine tua domust?

      Is this the house where you belong?

Sos.

  Ita inquam.

      That’s what I say.

Mer.

  Quis erus est igitur tibi?

      Who is your master, then?

Sos.
  Amphitruo, qui nunc praefectust Thebanis legionibus,
  quicum nupta est Alcumena.

      Amphitryon, now in command of the Theban army, and his wife
      is Alcmena.

Mer.

  Quid ais? quid nomen tibi est?

      How say you?  Your name!

Sos.

  Sosiam vocant Thebani, Davo prognatum patre.

      Sosia the Thebans call me, Sosia, son of Davus.

Mer.

  Ne tu istic hodie malo tuo compositis mendaciis
  advenisti, audaciai columen, consutis dolis.

      Ah! ’twas an evil hour for thee, when thou camest here,
      thou pinnacle of impudence, with thy premeditated lies and
      patched-up fabrications.

Sos.

  Immo equidem tunicis consutis huc advenio, non dolis.

      You’re wrong, I vow:  I’ve come with my tunic patched up,
      not my fabrications.

Mer.

  At mentiris etiam:  certo pedibus, non tunicis venis.

      Ha, lying again!  Thou dost clearly come with thy feet, not
      thy tunic.

Sos.

  Ita profecto.

      (dryly) Naturally.

Mer.

  Nunc profecto vapula ob mendacium. 370

      And naturally now get thrashed for fibbing.
      (advances)

Sos.

  Non edepol volo profecto.

      (retreats) Oh dear, I object, naturally.

Mer.

  At pol profecto ingratiis.
  hoc quidem profecto certum est, non est arbitrarium.

      Oh well, naturally that is immaterial.  My “naturally,”
      at least, is a cold hard fact, no matter of opinion.
      (beats him)