Banishment, among the Athenians, was of three kinds, 1. φυγὴ, temporary exile, the length of which was fixed by the judges. 2. Ὀστρακισμὸς, ten years’ banishment, during which the exile was allowed to receive the proceeds of his estate. 3. ἀειφυγία, perpetual banishment. The last kind was chiefly inflicted on murderers, the second on men, who grew so extremely popular and powerful as to endanger the security of a republican government. Mr. Cooke thinks, with Dr. Bentley, that “the original of this passage should be read, eam eiciat oppido,” instead of eam ejiciat oppido: he supports this reading by the following quotation,
Tityre, pascentes a flumine reice capellas.—Virgil.
where the measure determines the spelling.
“In the three manuscript copies of Terence, in the possession of Dr. Mead, two of them have eiciat; and what is worthy the reader’s notice, that which has ejiciat is written in the manner of prose.”
Therefore, do not let the fear of his changing his mind prevent you from following my advice.
——Nec tu ea causa minueris
Hæc quæ facis, ne is suam mutet sententiam.
It is impossible to ascertain, beyond a doubt, what Terence meant to express by these lines, and the most ingenious critics have differed entirely respecting their true signification. Some think this sentence should be interpreted thus: Be careful not to discontinue your visits to Glycera, lest Chremes should think you have broken off your connexion with her, and change his mind in consequence, and resolve to give you his daughter. In short, don’t quit your intrigue, and reform, lest Chremes should hear of it, and give you Philumena: among those who read the words in this sense, the most eminent are Bernard, Echard, M. Baron, the authors of the old Paris edition of 1671, and of the old English edition with notes. At the head of those who have adopted a contrary interpretation are Cooke, Colman, and Madame Dacier, who translate the lines thus, Let not the fear of Chremes’ changing his mind, and resolving to give you his daughter, make you hesitate in doing this, i. e., in telling your father that you’ll marry. I have adopted the latter translation, which seems more pertinent to the subject on which Davus and Pamphilus were conversing. The word hæc, moreover, usually refers to something immediately present, as was the topic of Pamphilus consenting to the marriage to deceive Simo. Terence, I think, if he had intended to allude to the visits, letters, &c., to Glycera, would have used the word isthæc. I conclude this note with the opinion of Madame Dacier respecting this passage, which that learned lady translates as follows:—
“Car que Chremès ne veuille pas vous donner sa fille, cela est hors de doute. Gardez vous donc bien que la crainte qu’il ne change de sentiment, et ne veuille que vous soyez bon gendre, ne vous fasse changer quelque chose au conseil que je vous ai donné.