Italydied 184 bce, great roman comic dramatist, whose works, loosely adapted from greek plays, established a truly roman drama in the latin language life. As it turned out, this was a watershed experience that inaugurated the romans into. His works were also read, studied, and copied for centuries after that. Cistellaria is a comedic latin play by the early roman playwright titus maccius plautus. The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus by plautus. Cistellaria is a comedic latin play by the early roman playwright titus maccius plautus translations. Plautus was a roman playwright and his dates as best as we can tell are 255. His comedies are classified as new comedy, which contain great differences to the old comedy, like those of aristophanes’. This paper looks at the language of the slaves in plautus mostellaria focusing in particular on the. Maccius plautus, mostellaria, or the haunted house. Plautus contrives to inject vis into this cunning and insolent rogue, who, despite. But epidicus is more memorable than traniohe is a skilful opportunist as well as an artful twister. A dynamic table of contents enables to jump directly to the chapter selected. Its name translates from latin as the haunted house with the word domus understood in the title.
Before drama ever appeared in rome, comedy in greece had. The mostellaria ten called in english the haunted house is one of plautus most lively plays and one which contains his most skilfully handled elements of farce. 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. Probably based on a greek original, philemons ghost, it concerns the scheming slave. The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus, literally translated with notes by titus maccius plautus edited by henry t. Version 1 beautifully illustrated with images relating to plautus life and works. The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus, literally translated with notes by titus maccius plautus. 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. Maccius plautus, mostellaria, or the haunted house, act. 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.
Additional formats may also be available from the main gutenberg site. 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 slaves of plautus 67 mostellaria, must be discovered and are perhaps less entertaining because of this. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus, by henry. Some suppose that by bis pedes, bis brachia, he means that two nails were to be driven.
Mostellaria i, iii, where the young master falls into raptures aside over his lately acquired sweetheart, philematium. The captivi and the mostellaria by titus maccius plautus. Biblioteca apostolica vaticana, vaticanus palatinus lat. It is set in the city of athens, on a street in front of the houses of theopropides and simo. Plautus comedies and have more lines than any other characters. It includes stock characters, like two old men, two young men, two courtesans.
Publication date 1869 publisher london, macmillan collection. Plautuss comedies were extremely popular in rome and were revived hundreds of years after his death. Title, date, language click on the title to show a detailed card and to read or download. This comprehensive ebook presents plautus complete extant works, with relevant illustrations, informative introductions and the usual delphi bonus material. 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 his son. At the same time, the roman republic was expanding in power and influence. Mostellaria by maccus titus plautus overdrive rakuten. His comedies are the earliest latin literary works to have survived in their entirety. 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.
For centuries scholars have been wrestling intensely with the text and sense of this enigmatic. The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus, by henry thomas riley. 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 restrictions whatsoever. His source for the mostellaria, whose title literally means ghostly, was probably a greek play called the phasma. The captivi and the mostellaria by titus maccius plautus free ebook. Twenty complete plays by plautus survive along with around 100 lines of vidularia the suitcase and fragments from several others. An xml version of this text is available for download, with the additional. This is a word probably derived from mostellum, the diminutive of monstrum, a spectre or prodigy. The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus, by henry thomas.
These eight plays asinaria, bacchides, epidicus, miles gloriosus, mostellaria, persa, poenulus, and pseudolus certainly contain the greatest plautine slaves, and indeed some of the best slaves in roman comedy. Plautus mostellaria argvmentvm m anu misit emptos suos amores philolaches o mnemque apsente rem suo apsumit patre. 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. An epitaph on plautus has the goddess comedy in deep mourning and the stage empty. Maccius plautus, mostellaria, or the haunted house, act 2. Project gutenberg offers 61,452 free ebooks to download. Eastbourne college eastbourne, county of east sussex, england mostellaria 1983 1983. Features the complete extant works of plautus, in both english translation and the original latin. The works of plautus, writes palmer bovie, mark the real beginning of roman literature. 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. The characters in plautus comedies get into everyday sorts of troubles mistaken identities, miscommunications, dilemmas about love and money. Translations edit english translation by henry thomas riley at perseus. As it turned out, this was a watershed experience that inaugurated the romans. I trust that it will come to pass that i shall get my son in.
Plautus plays continued to be popular after his death and they were performed in rome for another century or so. Aelius stilo said that the muses would speak the latin of plautus quintillian inst. The complex plot of deceit and confusion is, in the way of the genre, finally resolved in. Click here to download a slideshow from the 2008 production of plautus mostellaria. Disappointed in his attempts to get a professorial job, and reeling from the. He wrote palliata comoedia, the genre devised by the innovator of latin literature, livius andronicus.
Maccius plautus, mostellaria, or the haunted house, act 1. Click on the title to show a detailed card and to read or download. The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus, literally. The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus abebooks. Mostellaria mostellaria is a play by the roman author plautus. His theatrical genius, vitality, farcical humor, and control of the latin language rank him as romes greatest comic playwright during the 3d century b. 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. Select author names above for additional information and titles. Table of contents01 about this book02 the captivi03 mostellaria. Plautus mostellaria the haunted house 2008 classics.
Mostellaria is a typical roman comedy in many ways. His theatrical genius, vitality, farcical humor, and control of the latin language 1 rank him as romes greatest comic playwright. 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. 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. Jan 01, 2005 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Amphitruo in opera omnia 206 lingua latina in lat0549. 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, great roman comic dramatist, whose works, loosely adapted from greek plays, established a truly roman drama in the latin language. Wellesley college wellesley, massachusetts, united states mostellaria 1981 1981. Plautus was sometimes accused of teaching the public indifference and mockery of the gods. The language of slaves in plautus mostellaria the liveliness of plautus use of language has long been recognized. The complex plot of deceit and confusion is, in the way of the genre, finally resolved in reconciliation. 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.
Plautus article about plautus by the free dictionary. The only difference in the dramatic situation is the same temporal difference as noted above, viz. The captivi and the mostellaria plautus, roman playwright of the old latin period 254184b. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read comedies of plautus. Delphi complete works of plautus illustrated by titus. Amphitryon, the comedy of asses, teh pot of gold, the two bacchises, and the captives. Plautus is known for using colloquial language, and that this language gets more colorful particularly among the lower classes, of which the slaves are members. You may copy it, give it away or reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included with this ebook or online at. This ebook presents the captivi and the mostellaria, from plautus. This body of work was first attributed to plautus by the 1st century bce roman scholar varro and the titles are.
Maccius plautus, mostellaria, or the haunted house, introduction. T errifica monstra dicit fieri in aedibus 5 e t inde pridem emigratum. Apr 24, 2007 mostellaria is a roman comedy by plautus. His plays, adapted from those of greek new comedy, are popular and vigorous rep. Plautus, titus maccius titus maccius plautus plauto. English translation by henry thomas riley at perseus. The language of slaves in plautus mostellaria inst. This ebook presents the captivi and the mostellaria. All are latin adaptations of earlier greek comedies. Merrills commentary on plautus mostellaria for the bristol classical press series. 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.
566 761 846 1102 976 1428 1458 469 717 636 1072 987 342 1607 1212 1337 1677 330 308 326 960 1592 752 553 564 1598 304 279 1164 1321 510 892 95 699 630 828 1137 181 816 994 748 402 254 779 61 93 589 714