In this chapter i shall turn to plautus mostellaria and treat the fabrication of the slave tranios subplots within the play as an example of the category of fictive playlets. Title, date, language click on the title to show a detailed card and to read or download. Click on the title to show a detailed card and to read or download. The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus, by henry thomas riley. The language of slaves in plautus mostellaria the liveliness of plautus use of language has long been recognized. Apr 24, 2007 mostellaria is a roman comedy by plautus. English translation by henry thomas riley at perseus. What marine recruits go through in boot camp earning the title making marines on parris island duration. Only about 40% of plautus text is in the standard spoken rhythm of latin and greek drama, the iambic trimeter or its latin variant the senarius 6footer.
Additional formats may also be available from the main gutenberg site. Delphis ancient classics series provides ereaders with the wisdom of the classical world, with both english translations and the original latin texts. Merrills commentary on plautus mostellaria for the bristol classical press series. Merrill states in his preface that this edition of the mostellaria is conceived as a first reader in roman comedy, and it is very clear that he has endeavored to make this commentary as user friendly as possible and has on the whole succeeded in doing so. Curculio is the latin word for weevil, a beetle whose larva eats many times its weight in grain. Some suppose that by bis pedes, bis brachia, he means that two nails were to be driven into. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read comedies of plautus. Click here to download a slideshow from the 2008 production of plautus mostellaria. Nov 29, 2010 plautus titus macchius biography extremely accurate. Twenty complete plays by plautus survive along with around 100 lines of vidularia the suitcase and fragments from several others. It includes stock characters, like two old men, two young men, two courtesans. As it turned out, this was a watershed experience that inaugurated the romans. He produced many comedies that were mostly adapted to cater to the roman audience’s taste from the greek models.
Mostellaria i, iii, where the young master falls into raptures aside over his lately acquired sweetheart, philematium. Latin text of his plays has been modernised in spelling. Before drama ever appeared in rome, comedy in greece had. The project gutenberg ebook of the captiva and the mostellaria, by plautus this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no. The complex plot of deceit and confusion is, in the way of the genre, finally resolved in reconciliation. Mostellaria by plautus by plautus nook book ebook barnes. Plautus mostellaria argvmentvm m anu misit emptos suos amores philolaches o mnemque apsente rem suo apsumit patre.
It is also the name of a major character in the play. Maccius plautus, mostellaria, or the haunted house, act. The oldest manuscript of a plautus play dates back to the 6th century ce and the reappearance of previously lost manuscripts made plautus once more popular during the renaissance. Though the scene is at athens, plautus consults the taste of a roman audience.
Loosely adapted from lost greek plays, the works of plautus helped establish a truly roman drama in the latin language for the first time. Now bovie and david slavitt have brought together a distinguished group of translators for the final two volumes of a fourvolume set containing all twentyone surviving comedies of one of western literatures greatest dramatists. Plautus mostellaria the haunted house 2008 classics. His comedies are classified as new comedy, which contain great differences to the old comedy, like those of aristophanes’. Publication date 1869 publisher london, macmillan collection. It was probably coined by plautus to serve as the title of this play, which is called by several of the ancient commentators by the name of phasma, the apparition. The language of slaves in plautus mostellaria inst.
It is set in the city of athens, on a street in front of the houses of theopropides and simo. Although there is uncertainty about the date of performance and its greek original, it has been suggested that the play was staged after 193 b. The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus, literally. Mostellaria by maccus titus plautus overdrive rakuten.
Maccius plautus, mostellaria, or the haunted house, act 1. As it turned out, this was a watershed experience that inaugurated the romans into a centurylong. His source for the mostellaria, whose title literally means ghostly, was probably a greek play called the phasma. All are latin adaptations of earlier greek comedies. Little is known for certain about the life and personality of plautus, who ranks with terence as one of the two great roman comic dramatists. Willcocks edition, the first in english for over fifty years, remains one of the most. The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus abebooks. It includes stock characters, like two old men, two young men, two. His theatrical genius, vitality, farcical humor, and control of the latin language rank him as romes greatest comic playwright during the 3d century b. The mostellaria ten called in english the haunted house is one of plautus most lively plays and one which contains his most skilfully. Plautus plays continued to be popular after his death and they were performed in rome for another century or so. The works of plautus, writes palmer bovie, mark the real beginning of roman literature.
Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Plautus plays are without exception new comedy palliatae, i. His plays, adapted from those of greek new comedy, are popular and vigorous rep. The captivi and the mostellaria by titus maccius plautus. Like a weevil, curculio loves food and is willing to do anything to earn a meal.
Rudens may be better constructed, bacchides more menandiran, casina more broadly funny, but for the special qualities of plautus. Were a nonprofit organization working to build a web that is open, accessible, safe and most of all a force for good. Plautus titus macchius biography extremely accurate. This is a word probably derived from mostellum, the diminutive. Project gutenberg offers 61,452 free ebooks to download. His works are the earliest surviving examples of latin literature. The only difference in the dramatic situation is the same temporal difference as noted above, viz. Eastbourne college eastbourne, county of east sussex, england mostellaria 1983 1983.
The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus, literally translated with notes by titus maccius plautus. Mostellaria is a typical roman comedy in many ways. Plautuss comedies were extremely popular in rome and were revived hundreds of years after his death. An xml version of this text is available for download, with the additional. This body of work was first attributed to plautus by the 1st century bce roman scholar varro and the titles are. While little is known of his life, he was born in sarsina in central italy around 254 bc. Pseudolus, the most plautine of plautus plays, is his masterpiece. Cistellaria is a comedic latin play by the early roman playwright titus maccius plautus translations.
Due to his success, plautus plays are not only the oldest roman plays which survived in full other than terences, but the oldest latin literature passed down through manuscripts. Plautus, great roman comic dramatist, whose works, loosely adapted from greek plays, established a truly roman drama in the latin language. Westminster school london, greater london, england mostellaria 1980 1980. Select author names above for additional information and titles. Plautus, titus maccius titus maccius plautus plauto. The miser, 1672 and william shakespeare the comedy. Willcocks edition, the first in english for over fifty years, remains one of the most concise yet thorough. Its name translates from latin as the haunted house with the word domus understood in the title. Aelius stilo said that the muses would speak the latin of plautus quintillian inst. The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus, literally translated with notes by titus maccius plautus edited by henry t. He wrote in latin, using greek models adapted for roman audiences. Early roman literary drama derived from the greeks the turning point in roman drama came in 240 bce, when a greekspeaking slave living in rome, livius andronicus, translated homers odyssey into latin. The roman playwright plautus wrote comedies that are the earliest latin literary texts to have survived in their entirety.
The slaves of plautus 67 mostellaria, must be discovered and are perhaps less entertaining because of this. Maccius plautus, mostellaria, or the haunted house. Wellesley college wellesley, massachusetts, united states mostellaria 1981 1981. Italydied 184 bce, great roman comic dramatist, whose works, loosely adapted from greek plays, established a truly roman drama in the latin language life. The captivi and the mostellaria by titus maccius plautus free ebook. Maccius plautus, mostellaria, or the haunted house, act 2. Delphi complete works of plautus illustrated by titus. T errifica monstra dicit fieri in aedibus 5 e t inde pridem emigratum. What marine recruits go through in boot camp earning the title making marines on parris island. Probably based on a greek original, philemons ghost, it concerns the scheming slave. Plautus combined menanders style with the popular italian farce and mime, with a greater use of music and slapstick or at least physical comedy. Plautus article about plautus by the free dictionary. But epidicus is more memorable than traniohe is a skilful opportunist as well as an artful twister.
In the introduction i divided comic schemes into the two categories of fictive and factual performances. This is a word probably derived from mostellum, the diminutive of monstrum, a spectre or prodigy. Amphitruo in opera omnia 206 lingua latina in lat0549. Probably based on a greek original, philemons ghost, it concerns the scheming slave tranios attempts including the invention of a haunted house to disguise from his old master the sexual and financial prodigality of the latters son. There is, of course, a vast gulf of both time and temperament between millers salesman and plautuss mostellaria, between a probably great american tragedy and a possibly flawed roman comedy. Lewis and charles short 1879 a latin dictionary, oxford.
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