Plautus amphitruo commentary on the book

A comprehensive, userfriendly tool for students of plautus and ancient comedy. Of the roughly one hundred and thirty comedies attributed to him in. The british tv sitcom up pompeii uses situations and stock characters from plautuss plays. Amphitryon was the title of a lost tragedy of sophocles, but most others who have used this story have rendered comic treatments instead. The dramatic treatment by plautus has enjoyed a sustaining presence on the stage since its premiere. Plautus amphitruo cambridge greek and latin classics book. He wrote palliata comoedia, the genre devised by the innovator of latin literature, livius andronicus. The latin text is accompanied by notes explaining the irregularities of plautus syntax and metre, and citing relevant parallels and secondary sources.

Shakespeare adapted the plot for his comedy of errors, but his is not the only adaptation made since the renaissance. Little is known of the life of titus maccius plautus. I did think the commentary was not amazingly good, so thats why i have to give this. On all these topics, christensons commentary is very good, and you should use it as needed. The commentary also introduces students to modern scholarship on the genre, including metatheatrical interpretations and performance criticism. Delphi complete works of plautus illustratednook book. The plot, which concerns the competition of a father and his son for the same girl and the various scurrilous tricks employed in the process, gives full scope to plautus inventiveness and richly comic language. This sex farce delighted roman audiences and readers for centuries and continues to inspire adaptations to this day. In roman epic heracles is important in vergils aeneid, where in book 8.

Gratwick provides a newly constituted text, a commentary for students giving help with language and context, and an introduction that sheds new light on the interpretation of the play and on plautus place in the development of european comedy. Italydied 184 bce, great roman comic dramatist, whose works, loosely adapted from greek plays, established a truly roman drama in the latin language life. Asinaria 746809, amphitruo 361462, captiui 102936, casina 780854 and 101218, cistellaria 20329, curculio 46286, menaechmi 77109 and 35169, poenulus 145 and 54166, pseudolus 12 and 394414, rudens 9381044, and truculentus 482548. Whether or not we believe in arcellaschis theory, the amphitruo is certainly a late creation, and it is reasonably safe to say that it was composed between 190 and 185. Comprehensive and straightforward bibliography listing books, articles, and some published theses dating to the mid19th century. Online books about this author are available, as is a wikipedia article plautus, titus maccius. I found plautus latin a little difficult to tackle at first, so this book was very helpful during my second term in college. It includes an introduction discussing date, sources, revivals, manuscripts, metre, arguments and prologues. Amphitryo focus classical commentaries latin and english edition 9781585100910. While he was away, the god jupiter, struck by the beauty of amphitryons. Digital libraries initiative, phase 2 provided support for entering this text. Maccius plautus, amphitryon, or jupiter in disguise. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

It contains introductory essays, latin text and a linebyline commentary. Watling narration written by maggie rogow filmed and edited by willem crispin. This is commanded by amphitryon, who leaves his wife alcmena pregnant at his departure from thebes. 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. The play is mostly extant, but includes several large missing sections in its latter portion. Jan 19, 2017 the online blurb describes this as the first english commentary on plautus unabridged text. Amphitryon and his slave sosia are returning to their native city of thebes following a long period fighting a war abroad. Menaechmi is a broad farce that makes use of the comic possibilities of mistaken identity. This is the first edition of platus amphitruo to appear in english for approximately forty years. Amphitryon or amphitruo is a latin play for the early roman theatre by playwright titus maccius plautus.

The princeton legacy library uses the latest printondemand technology to again make available previously outofprint books from the distinguished backlist of. This performance of plautus amphitruo is the product of my ancient drama and performance class at byu classical civ 340 r. Its neat plot and witty, fastmoving dialogue often speak for themselves. During his absence from home, jupiter, assuming his form, and mercury that of his servant sosia, present themselves to alcmena, as though just returned from. What makes the text so helpful is the fact that it gives you exactly what you need to know in order to translate accurately and deal with the archaisms in the language.

Plautus casina is a lively and well composed farce. Maccius plautus, amphitryon, or jupiter in disguise, act 1. Amphitruo by plautus, 9780521459976, available at book depository with. Scenes from plautus amphitryo created by the north toronto c. Opposes the orthodoxy that plautus was popular with the crowds while terence was a failure, making the case for the ancient appreciation of terence without diminishing plautuss achievement. The development of constructions as illustrated by plautus. In rome plautus emphasized the divine birth of heracles in his amphitruo ca. The captivi and the mostellaria of plautus, literally translated with notes, ed. The amphitruo is a highly exceptional play given that it is the sole example of a comic treatment of a story from grecoroman mythology among plautuss works. Amphitruo, in greek mythology, was a son of alcaeus, king of tiryns in argolis. Loosely adapted from lost greek plays, the works of plautus helped establish a truly roman drama in the latin language for the first time. Plautus comedy menaechmi was the main inspiration for shakespeares the comedy of errors.

An edition with introduction and linebyline commentary of the roman playwright plautus comedy amphitruo. The comedy of plautus, a 1968 book by erich segal, is a scholarly study of plautus work. The online blurb describes this as the first english commentary on plautus unabridged text. Rudens, stichus, trinumus, truculentus, fragmenta pristina, fragmenta a. Plautus, the roman comedian, used this tale to present amphitryon, a burlesque play. Nov 22, 20 scenes from plautus amphitryo created by the north toronto c. Mar 12, 2020 plautus comedy menaechmi was the main inspiration for shakespeares the comedy of errors. Mercury was the messenger of the gods, and, therefore, the patron of messengers. Mercury was the god of trading and merchandize, and was said to have received his name from the latin word merx. See the tradesmans prayer to him in the fasti of ovid, b.

The roman playwright plautus wrote comedies that are the earliest latin literary texts to have survived in their entirety. Watlings translation of the brothers menaechmus, from plautus. A student commentary michigan classical commentaries. I have compared plautus amphitruo and molieres amphitryon to focus on the process of. In faciem uersus amphitruonis iuppiter, dum bellum gereret cum telobois hostibus, alcmenam uxorem cepit usurariam.

Maii, cum specimine codicum nova editio stereotypa ictibus versuum notatis ex recensione car. His mother was named either astydameia, the daughter of pelops and hippodamia, or laonome, daughter of guneus, or else hipponome, daughter of menoeceus. This latin edition includes commentary in english, a supplement, written in the fifteenth century, in place of the scenes lost from the original, notes are on facing pages and in latin. While it is true that this is the first commentary which looks like achieving a wide circulation, i think some honour should go to adrian gratwick, whose oxford dissertation of 1968 surely constitutes the actual first english commentary. We have from him one mythological burlesque, the amphitruo, and several plays dealing with domestic subjects like the captivi, cistellaria, rudens, stichus and t rinummus. Plautus amphitruo is the sole specimen of mythological burlesque in ancient comedy to come down to us in nearly complete form. In roman epic heracles is important in vergils aeneid, where in book 8 184305 evander describes his victory over cacus. Jan 27, 2018 the plots of plautus also are more varied than those of terence. C his only mythological comedy and portrays alcmena sympathetically as the object of the lust of zeus jupiter and amphitryon.

Plautus amphitryo is an excellent example of roman comedy. Unless you have read roman comedy before, plautus is likely to be the most difficult text to read this semester, if only because the language is archaic and the vocabulary unfamiliar. Casina, amphitryon, captivi, pseudolus, was published by focus publishing in 2008. The subject creon, king of thebes, being at war with the teleboans or taphians, under the command of ptereias, sends an army against them. His comedies are the earliest latin literary works to have survived in their entirety. A thorough and modern commentary on plautus classic comedy amphitryo, including the 15thcentury supplement for the lost scenes. Apr 17, 2014 this performance of plautus amphitruo is the product of my ancient drama and performance class at byu classical civ 340 r. This text was converted to electronic form by professional data entry and has been proofread to a medium level of accuracy. Plautus, great roman comic dramatist, whose works, loosely adapted from greek plays, established a truly roman drama in the latin language. Plautus was one of ancient romes most popular playwrights. Students will find this an indispensable tool in reading and translating the play, which was enormously popular in antiquity and has inspired modern. He is also the author of an edition with commentary of plautus amphitruo and a forthcoming edition and commentary of plautus pseudolus.