Amphitryo centers on the mythological story of the hero Amphitryon, whose wife, Alcmene, is visited by Jupiter disguised as her husband. The play explores themes of divine intervention, mistaken identity, and jealousy, with comedic confusion arising from the gods' interference in human affairs. Asinaria is a lively tale about a young man, who is in love with a woman but needs money to marry her. He enlists the help of a clever slave, who tricks his miserly father into providing the necessa...

In The Captivi, the plot centers on two main characters, Tyndarus and Antipho. Tyndarus, a captured slave, is mistaken for another man and escapes from his captors. Antipho, a young man in love, is desperate to free his father, who has been captured by pirates. The confusion of mistaken identities, typical of Plautus’ work, creates much of the comedic tension in the play.The Mostellaria revolves around a young man, Philolaches, who defies his father's strict rules and throws a party in his...

Classic Roman plays. Amphitryon, The Comedy of Asses, Teh Pot of Gold, The Two Bacchises, and The Captives. According to Wikipedia, "Titus Maccius Plautus (c. 254–184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are among the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. Plautus wrote around 52 plays, which were released between c. 205 and 184 BCE, of which 20 have survived, making him the most prolific ancient dramatist in terms of su...

Classic Roman plays. Amphitryon, The Comedy of Asses, Teh Pot of Gold, The Two Bacchises, and The Captives. According to Wikipedia, "Titus Maccius Plautus (c. 254184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are among the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. Plautus wrote around 52 plays, which were released between c. 205 and 184 BCE, of which 20 have survived, making him the most prolific ancient dramatist in terms of sur...

Two classic Roman comedies. According to Wikipedia, "Titus Maccius Plautus (c. 254184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are among the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. Plautus wrote around 52 plays, which were released between c. 205 and 184 BCE, of which 20 have survived, making him the most prolific ancient dramatist in terms of surviving work. He attained such a popularity that his name alone became a hallmark...

These two captives (pointing to PHILOCRATES and TYNDARUS), whom you see standing here, are standing here because—they are both standing, and are not sitting. That I am saying this truly, you are my witnesses. The old man, who lives here (pointing to HEGIO's house), is Hegio—his father (pointing to TYNDARUS). But under what circumstances he is the slave of his own father, that I will here explain to you, if you give attention. This old man had two sons; a slave stole one child when four yea...

THE GREEK ORIGINALS OF THE PLAYS IN THIS VOLUME In this and each succeeding volume a summary will be given of the consensus of opinion1 regarding the Greek originals of the plays in the volume and regarding the time of presentation in Rome of Plautus’s adaptations. It may be that some general readers will be glad to have even so condensed an account of these matters as will be offered them. The original of the Amphitruo is not now thought to have been a work of the Middle Comedy but of the...

Descending from the heavenly sphere of the gods to the mortal world below, Arcturus raises a mighty storm. For Labrax, a ‘procurer’ of women, the storm brings shipwreck and ruin. For his two female captives it offers a chance of escape. Washed up on a rocky coastline the two women seek refuge in the shrine of Venus, but it seems that the goddess alone cannot protect them. They are forced to rely instead on the help of the elderly Daemones, who is already struggling to control his reluctant...

Classic Roman comedy. According to Wikipedia, "Titus Maccius Plautus (c. 254184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are among the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. Plautus wrote around 52 plays, which were released between c. 205 and 184 BCE, of which 20 have survived, making him the most prolific ancient dramatist in terms of surviving work. He attained such a popularity that his name alone became a hallmark of th...

Classic Roman comedy. According to Wikipedia, "Titus Maccius Plautus (c. 254184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are among the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. Plautus wrote around 52 plays, which were released between c. 205 and 184 BCE, of which 20 have survived, making him the most prolific ancient dramatist in terms of surviving work. He attained such a popularity that his name alone became a hallmark of th...

Classic Roman comedy. According to Wikipedia, "Titus Maccius Plautus (c. 254184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are among the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. Plautus wrote around 52 plays, which were released between c. 205 and 184 BCE, of which 20 have survived, making him the most prolific ancient dramatist in terms of surviving work. He attained such a popularity that his name alone became a hallmark of th...

Classic Roman comedy. According to Wikipedia, "Titus Maccius Plautus (c. 254184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are among the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. Plautus wrote around 52 plays, which were released between c. 205 and 184 BCE, of which 20 have survived, making him the most prolific ancient dramatist in terms of surviving work. He attained such a popularity that his name alone became a hallmark of th...