T. Maccius Plautus, Amphitryon, or Jupiter in Disguise
Henry Thomas Riley, Ed.

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¹ not less than any one of you. Born of a mortal mother, a mortal sire, it is not reasonable to be surprised if he has apprehensions for himself. And I too, as well, who am the son of Jupiter, through my relationship to my father, stand in dread of ill. Therefore, in peace am I come to you, and peace do I bring. I wish a thing to be asked of you that's reasonable and feasible; for, reasonable things to ask of the reasonable, a reasonable mediator have I been sent. For from the reasonable it is not right to ask things unreasonable; whereas from the unreasonable to ask things reasonable, is sheer folly, since these unrighteous persons are ignorant of what is right, and observe it not. Now then, all lend your attention here to the things which I shall say. What we wish, you ought to wish as well: both I and my father have well deserved of you and of your state. But why should I mention how in Tragedies I have seen others, such as Neptune, Valour, Victory, Mars, Bellona, making mention of the good services which they had done you? Of all these benefits, the ruler of the Deities, my sire, was the founder. But this has never been the habit of my father, to throw in your teeth what good he has done unto the good. He thinks that this is gratefully returned by you to him, and that he bestows these blessings on you deservedly, which he does bestow. Now, the matter which I came here to ask, I'll first premise, after that I'll tell the subject of this Tragedy. Why have you contracted your brows? Is it because I said that this would be a Tragedy? I am a God, and I'll change it. This same, if you wish it, from a Tragedy I'll make to be a Comedy, with all the lines the same. Whether would ye it were so, or not? But I'm too foolish; as though I didn't know, who am a God, that you so wish it; upon this subject I understand what your feelings are. I'll make this to be a mixture--a Tragi-comedy