./data/phi0134/phi004/phi0134.phi004.perseus-lat2.xml
P. Terentius Afer
Chremes had married a lady of property, named Nausistrata, whose estates lay in the island of Lemnos, and by whom he had a son called Phaedria  Once a year Chremes used to go to Lemnos to collect his rents, and used to stay there on each occasion rather longer than was necessary, while the rents which he brought home to his wife were less than in former times when the prices of farm produce was not so high as at this time (compare v  8  23, 24, and v  3  4—8), which appeared unaccountable to his wife, who did not however suspect him of any thing beyond carelessness and indolence in the management of her business  But it had happened that about fifteen years before the events of this play he had fallen in love with a Lemnian woman, by whom he had a daughter called Phanium  So for fifteen years he had two wives and two establishments, with perfect secrecy, for at Lemnos he went by the name of Stilpho; while he put off his wife's complaints about the short rents by excuses of bad times, ill health, and so on  His brother Demipho had a son named Antipho, and they had agreed that Chremes should now go to Lemnos, and bring over his wife and daughter, and that the cousins should be married at once, Phanium passing for the daughter of a friend  With this object Chremes now makes his yearly visit to Lemnos; and Demipho at the same time goes to Cilicia, where he expects to find a large fortune; while their two sons, Antipho and Phaedria, are left under the charge of Geta, an old family servant of Demipho's, who acted as their paedagogue  At first Geta endeavoured to discharge his duty to his master faithfully; but finding that this conduct got him nothing but abuse, he altered his line, and gave his two pupils every indulgence they demanded  This soon produced the results which might have been anticipated  Phaedria fell madly in love with a music girl, whom he diligently escorted every day to and from the school where she used to go for her finishing lessons; but his case was desperate, for he had not a farthing, and she could not be got from Dorio, the 'leno,' without hard cash  Nor was it long before Antipho got into a similar scrape, which had a very different end, but one quite as embarrassing to him  For when Chremes reached Lemnos he found that his birds had flown  Phanium and her mother, tired of waiting for him, now that Phanium was grown up, had started for Athens in search of him, with their nurse Sophrona  They inquire every where for Stilpho, but no such person is to be heard of, and they are reduced to great distress, in consequence of which the mother dies soon after their arrival  By a singular chance Antipho happens at this moment to see Phanium, as she is lamenting the death of her mother, and falls desperately in love with her at first sight  He goes to Sophrona, who will not consent to allow any acquaintance but on condition of marriage; and Antipho will sacrifice himself to a girl without a penny rather than lose her altogether  But how is the marriage to be brought about without exposing Antipho to his father's most severe censure? It is managed in the following way  Phormio, a parasite, who seems to have been under considerable obligations to these young men in the way of good living (see ii  2  22), gives him this advice  There is an Athenian law, that orphans should be taken in marriage or portioned out by their nearest relation  He will pretend to be Phanium's guardian, and will bring an action against Antipho, as her nearest relation, and as Antipho has no money he will of course be obliged to marry her  So Demipho will not be able to say a word  The plan succeeds to admiration  Phormio gains his suit, and Antipho immediately marries Phanium  He is devoted to his wife, but lives in continual dread of his father's return; and is quite as wretched in consequence of his success as Phaedria is because his case is hopeless