This sex farce delighted roman audiences and readers for centuries and continues to inspire adaptations to this day. Read amphitryon, a play in english and latin by titus maccius plautus available from rakuten kobo. Alcmene refused to consummate her marriage with amphitryon until he had avenged the death of her brothers, all of whom. In 201112, he will be a loeb classical library foundation. He accidentally killed electryon, and was exiled by electryons brother, sthenelus, along with his wife. 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. No matter if they all combine to pile the torments on, i fancy ive got a back of my. Amphitruo plautus metadata this file contains additional information such as exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. After having by accident killed his fatherinlaw electryon 1, king of mycenae, he was banished from that city, and settled in thebes the sons of perseus 1. The plays casina, amphitryon, captivi, and pseudolus provide an introduction to the world of roman comedy.
Nov 22, 20 scenes from plautus amphitryo created by the north toronto c. Casina, amphitryon, captivi, pseudolus, both for focus publishing. Amphitryon plautus play, a latin play by plautus from ca. The amphitruo prologue may well serve as a paradigm for plautine prologues in general, since it contains a highly entertaining blend of captatio benevolentiae. The editors aim is to establish the play as one of the liveliest of ancient comedies, and in their introduction and notes to make. The project gutenberg ebook of amphitryo, asinaria, aulularia, bacchides, captivi. The master was sent on a journey, a government quest. Amphitryon was the title of a lost tragedy of sophocles, but most others who have used this story have rendered comic treatments instead. His theatrical genius, vitality, farcical humor, and control of the latin language rank him as romes greatest comic playwright during the 3d century b. See the tradesmans prayer to him in the fasti of ovid, b. Loosely adapted from lost greek plays, the works of plautus helped establish a truly roman drama in the latin language for the first time.
It includes an introduction discussing date, sources, revivals, manuscripts, metre, arguments and prologues. Amphitryon moliere play, a french comedy after plautus from 1668. Amphitryon then came to thebes in the company of alcmena and licymnius, being purified by creon 2, who ruled thebes in several periods. This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for.
The most recent version of amphitryon was written in 2000 and was called gods gift. The dramatic treatment by plautus has enjoyed a sustaining presence on the stage since its premiere. Amphitryon 339 writing burlesque, was the author of an amphitryon. In 201112, he was a loeb classical library foundation fellow.
Amphitryo, asinaria, aulularia, bacchides, captivi by titus. The play is mostly extant, but includes several large missing sections in its latter portion. Hide browse bar your current position in the text is marked in blue. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book without typos from the publisher. Apr 17, 2014 this performance of plautus amphitruo is the product of my ancient drama and performance class at byu classical civ 340 r. For plautus, such a presumption need not have entailed an actionable contractual obligation. These two characters act as main intermediaries for. Roches translations of amphitryon, miles gloriosus, and the prisoners clearly illustrate how plautus writing has withstood the test of time. Some say that in ancient times the house of amphitryon and his room could still be seen, and that there was an inscription that read. When he leaves for the wars, his wife alcmena, daughter of electryon, is pregnant. Plautus casina is a lively and well composed farce. Plautus really does blur the two genres together in this text, and we have tragic figures and scenarios arising amidst an awfully farcical tragedy. While this play maintains characteristics of new comedy, such as twins and the representation of common life.
An analysis of major characters in amphitryon by plautus kibin. His comedies are the earliest works in latin literature to have survived in their entirety. Harvard university is associate professor of classics at the university of arizona. But the amphitryon, though in some ways typical of new comedy. Delphis ancient classics series provides ereaders with the wisdom of the classical world, with both english translations and the original latin texts. This performance of plautus amphitruo is the product of my ancient drama and performance class at byu classical civ 340 r. Two slightly lesser roles, though of equal importance, are those of mercury and sosia. In amphitryon the term tragicomoedia tragicomedy appears for the first time in latin literature to describe this. As with all focus translations, the emphasis is on a handsomely produced, inexpensive, readable edition that is close to the original, with an extensive introduction, notes and appendices. Amphitryon is a character of greek mythology amphitryon may also refer to.
Mercury takes on the form of his absent slave, sosia. When the play begins, he has recently returned victorious from war and is looking forward to visiting his home and his wife. In amphitryon the term tragicomoedia tragicomedy appears for the first time in latin literature to describe this blending of comedy and tragedy, and it is the god mercury who coins. Plautuss comedies, amphitryon, epidicus, and rudens by. Welcome as a full autobiography of plautus would be, in place of such scant. Amphitryon moliere relevance to today molieres amphitryon has inspired the work of many other playwrights since it was first performed in 1668. Together, they fled to thebes, where amphitryon was purified by the king of the city, creon. Maccius plautus, amphitryon, or jupiter in disguise henry thomas riley, ed. The well viewing of thefe, will bring him to refleft how he pafsd away his time in his young. A clue to the greek plays date is found in the description of amphitryons battle. Plautus, the roman comedian, used this tale to present amphitryon, a burlesque play. He wrote palliata comoedia, the genre devised by the innovator of latin literature, livius andronicus. In athens, pleusicles was crazy for a courtesan named philocomasium.
But the romans were ac quainted with the tragicocom diae of the greeks, their satyr dramas, their rhintonicae, the atellane farces of pomponius, and. Plautus demonstrates a generalised awareness of obligations implicit in instruments like mandatum, and its connection with a presumption of shared liability among the partners of a societas. Unit identity where aspects of the twins personalities have merged and their egos. 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. Just as we need to be told in a way that grips us that man is but a contingent creature subject to sudden disrupting forces, whom it behooves to be modest in his own conceits, we need to be reminded also that this life is neither the time nor place for complete success, that struggle and nearineptitude are the norm, and perfection only the ideal. We turned the problem of filling the missing fourth act into an. In the amphitruo plautus stages an imaginary world of mischievous gods and bewildered mortals, a place where personal identities, literary sources, and genre expectations are all in flux and a magically long night is center stage and played for. In the fifth act, at the moment in which alcmena is delivered of hercules and iphiclus, a violent. Amphitryon, in greek mythology, son of alcaeus, king of tiryns. Amphitryon dryden play, a 1691 english comedy after plautus and moliere. An investigation of plautus captiui, menaechmi and amphitruo with. Maccius plautus, amphitryon, or jupiter in disguise, act 1, scene. Mercury was the god of trading and merchandize, and was said to have received his name from the latin word merx. Scenes from plautus amphitryo created by the north toronto c.
After the real amphitruo 6 and sosia have returned, they are both made fun of in a. Maccius plautus, amphitryon, or jupiter in disguise, act 1. This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. While amphitruo was waging war against the teloboians, jupiter assumed his appearance and took a loan of his wife, alcumena. Five plays by plautus and terence and casina, amphitryon, captivi, pseudolus, both for focus publishing. It is the first and only use of the word tragicomedy in classical latin, and it is not just a pun as it first appears. While pleusicles was away, the soldier came to athens, and made advances to philocomasium. On all these topics, christensons commentary is very good, and you should use it as needed. To ask other readers questions about amphitryon, please sign up. Little is known of the life of titus maccius plautus.
No matter if they all combine to pile the torments on, i fancy ive got a back of. Amphitryo, asinaria, aulularia, bacchides, captivi by. A son of alcaeus, king of troezen, by hipponome, the daughter of menoeceus. He was a general in thebes, who married alcmene, daughter of electryon, king of mycenae. Pdf the use of colloquial language in the portrayal of gods in. Aug 20, 2005 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The latin text is accompanied by notes explaining the irregularities of plautus syntax and metre, and citing relevant parallels and secondary sources. Res amphitryon, and the amphit ryon of dryden the amphitruo of plautus is the only play of this type that has survived in roman literature.
An analysis of major characters in amphitryon by plautus. Amphitryon or amphitruo is a latin play for the early roman theatre by playwright titus maccius plautus. The dispute is referred to blepharo, the pilot of amphitryon, who. His theatrical genius, vitality, farcical humor, and control of the latin language 1 rank him as romes greatest comic playwright. Watling narration written by maggie rogow filmed and edited by willem crispin. A thorough and modern commentary on plautus classic comedy amphitryo, including the 15thcentury supplement for the lost scenes. Plautus amphitruo is the sole specimen of mythological burlesque in ancient comedy to come down to us in nearly complete form.
Mercury was the messenger of the gods, and, therefore, the patron of messengers. The date of the plautine adaptation of this play, as in the case of the asinaria. Mercury as, in purchasing and selling your merchandize 1, you are desirous to render me propitious to your bargains, and that i should assist you in all things. In the prologue to plautus amphitryo, lines 2025, mercurius says this. Includes an analysis of plautus approach to comedy and background on the social and political customs of his times. Pater huc me misit ad vos oratum meus, tam etsi, pro imperio vobis quod dictum foret, scibat facturosquippe qui. He is the author of several books including roman comedy. Amphitruo lateinische form des griechischen namens amphitryon ist eine tragikomodie des. Almost nothing is known of these plays, it is usually assumed that the immediate original of the latin play was a comedy of the middle or new period.
When perseus 1, founder of mycenae, departed from this world, he was succeeded on the throne of mycenae by his son electryon 1, who in turn was succeeded by his brother sthenelus 3. Amphitryon, the plays title character, is a leader in the theban army. The braggart soldier, by plautus page 2 his master back in athens was a fine young man, named pleusicles. The major roles in the play are those of amphitryon, jove, and alcamena.
Amphitryon, a play in english and latin rakuten kobo. Maccius plautus, amphitryon, or jupiter in disguise. Having accidentally killed his uncle electryon, king of mycenae, amphitryon fled with alcmene, electryons daughter, to thebes, where he was cleansed from the guilt by creon, his maternal uncle, king of thebes. More than laughter in plautuss amphitryon plautuss amphitryon is an anomaly among extant roman comedies, because it is the one surviving example of a play in which gods appear alongside mortal characters. After the reopening of the theatre, it was played half a dozen times more the same year, and continued to please. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The use of colloquial language in the portrayal of gods in plautus amphitryon 341 632 christy lowe university of wales trinity saint david in plautus play the amphitryon, the theban general amphitryo and his slave sosia are away on a military expedition to fight the teloboians. The problem starts when the real amphitryo and the real sosia come home, and. The amphitruo of plautus chicago journals university of chicago.
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