served under the leadership, command, and auspices of--his
very own self. (_meditating_) Now let me think how I am to
tell her the tale when I get there. If I do work in a lie or
two, it won’t be anything extraordinary for me.

nam cum pugnabant maxume, ego tum fugiebam maxume;
verum quasi adfuerim tamen simulabo atque audita eloquar. 200
sed quo modo et verbis quibus me deceat fabularier,
prius ipse mecum etiam volo his meditari. sic hoc proloquar.

The fact is, it was just when they were doing their hardest
fighting that I was doing my hardest running. Oh well, I’ll
pretend I was there just the same, and recite what I heard
tell about it. But the neatest way to narrate my story--
and the words to use--I must practise a bit by myself
beforehand here.

Principio ut illo advenimus, ubi primum terram tetigimus,
continuo Amphitruo delegit viros primorum principes;
eos legat, Telobois iubet sententiam ut dicant suam;
si sine vi et sine hello velint rapta et raptores tradere,
si quae asportassent redderent, se exercitum extemplo domum
reducturum, abituros agro Argivos, pacem atque otium
dare illis; sin aliter sient animati neque dent quae petat,
sese igitur summa vi virisque eorum oppidum oppugnassere. 210

(_pauses_) Here’s how we’ll begin. (_lays lantern down and
addresses supposed Alcmena importantly_) First and foremost,
when we reached there, as soon as we had touched land,
straightway Amphitryon picks out the most illustrous of his