Book 15
1
Why these tears, Parthenis? How did you break these pipes you’re carrying?
1
It was that soldier from Aetolia, the big fellow who loves Crocale. He slapped me when he found me playing at Crocale’s house, when I’d been hired by his rival Gorgos, and bursting in smashed my pipes, overturned the table while we were still at dinner, and spilt the wine out of the bowl. Then he dragged Gorgos, that poor fellow from the country, out of the room by the hair, and both the soldier himself—Dinomachus I think he’s called—and his comrade, stood over him beating him up. And so I don’t know whether the fellow will survive, Cochlis, for blood poured in streams from his nose, and his whole face is swollen and all black and blue.
2
Was the fellow out of his senses or was it a drunken fit?
