Millionaire's Dinner Party Chapter 1 Translation

Question 1

Itaque maesti deliberabamus de malis quae nobis imminebant, cum servus Agamemnonis intravit et “quid” inquit “nonne scitis?” hodie ad cenam invitati estis a Trimalchione, lautissimo homine. venite igitur; nolite morari”

Answer 1

Therefore sad we were considering about our troubles which were threatening us, when a slave of Agamemnon entered and said “what? Do you not know? Today you all have been invited to dinner by Trimalchio, a most smart/elegant man. So come; do not delay”.

Question 2

malorum igitur obliviscimur et celeriter vestimenta induimus

Answer 2

Therefore we forget about our troubles and quickly put on clothes,

Question 3

et Gitona, qui libentissime servi officium agit, iubemus ad balnea nos sequi

Answer 3

and Gitona, who most willingly performs the duty of a slave, we order to follow us to the bath.

Question 4

ubi ad balnea advenimus, errare coepimus inter eos qui lavabantar

Answer 4

When we arrived at the baths, we began to wander among those who were being washed

Question 5

subito videmus senem calvum, qui inter pueros capillatos ludit pila

Answer 5

Suddenly we see a bald old man, who plays with a ball among long-haired boys:

Question 6

nec tam pueri nos ad spectaculum duxerant quam ipse senex, qui soleatus pila se exercebat.

Answer 6

not so much had the boys led us to the spectacle as the old man himself, who wearing slippers was exercising himself with a ball.

Question 7

numquam enim eam pilam repetebat quae terram tetigerat, sed servus follem plenum habebat, ex quo sufficiebat eis qui ludebant

Answer 7

For he was never recovering that ball which had touched the ground, but a slave was holding a full bag, out of which he was supplying new balls to those who were playing.

Question 8

dum has miramur lautitias, accurrit Menelaus et “hic est” inquit “apud quem cenabitis, et iam principium cenae videtis

Answer 8

While we were marvelling these elegances, Menelaus ran up and said “this is he at whose house you will dine, and now/already you see the beginning of the dinner.”

Question 9

vix locutus erat Menelaus, cum Trimalchio digitos concrepuit;

Answer 9

Menelaus had scarcely spoken, when Trimalchio snapped his fingers;

Question 10

aquam poposcit et digitos lavit, quos in capite pueri tersit

Answer 10

he demanded water and washed his hands, which he dried on the head of the boy.

Question 11

deinde vestitus est et in lecticam impositus. et dum aufertur, ad caput eius symphionacus accessit et toto itinere in aurem cantavit.

Answer 11

Then he was dressed and placed in a litter. And while he was being carried away a musician approached to his head and sang into his ear the entire journey.

Question 12

sequimur nos admiratione iam pleni et cum Agamemnone ad ianuam pervenimus, in cuius poste libellus affixus erat cum hac
inscriptione: ‘servus qui sine domini iussu foras exierit, accipiet centum plagas.’

Answer 12

Already/now filled with admiration we follow and we arrived with Agamemnon at the door, on the post of which a notice had been attached with this inscription “The slave who goes outside without his master’s orders will receive 100 lashes”.

Question 13

super limen cavea pendebat aurea, in qua pica varia intrantes salutabat. sed ego, dum omnia miror, paene cecidi
et crura mea fregi.

Answer 13

Above the threshold a golden cage was hanging, in which a black and white magpie was greeting those entering. But I, while marvelling at everything, almost fell and broke my legs.

Question 14

ad sinistram enim intrantibus canis ingens, catena vinctus, in pariete pictus est, superque quadrata littera
scriptum CAVE CANEM.

Answer 14

For on the left as you came in a huge dog tied up by a chain was painted on the wall, and above in capital letters was written BEWARE THE DOG

Question 15

et comites quidem mei riserunt; ego autem spiritum collegi et totum parietem inspicere coepi.

Answer 15

and my friends indeed laughed, but I recovered my breath and I began to inspect the whole wall.

Question 16

erat enim venalicium cum titulis pictum, et ipse Trimalchio capillatus
caduceum tenebat et Romam intrabat.

Answer 16

For there was a slave sale with titles pictured, and a long haired Trimalchio himself was holding a caduceus and he was entering Rome.

Question 17

tum omnia, quae fecerat
Trimalchio, pictor cum inscriptione diligenter reddiderat.

Answer 17

Then all that Trimalchio had done, the painter had carefully represented with an inscription.

Question 18

primum Trimalchio ratiocinari discebat, deinde dispensator factus est, denique Mercurius eum tollebat et in tribunal altum rapiebat; ibi erat Fortuna, quae cornu abundanti divitias effundebat.

Answer 18

First Trimalchio was learning accounts, then he was made steward, finally Mercury was lifting him and carrying him off onto a tribunal platform: Fortuna was there, pouring out riches from her horn of plenty.