Good courage in a bad affair is half of the evil overcome.

The line expresses a pragmatic, almost proverbial ethic: when circumstances are already “bad,” the most effective first response is courage. Plautus frames bravery not as a moral ornament but as a practical force that reduces the power of misfortune—fear and hesitation are treated as part of the “evil” itself. By asserting that courage is “half” the victory, the saying implies that adversity is overcome as much internally (steadfastness, resolve, readiness to act) as externally (changing events). The sentiment fits Roman comic wisdom: characters often survive predicaments through nerve, quick thinking, and refusal to be cowed.