Captivi home Plautus (Dramata)

CAPTIVI

Author: Plautus
Date: circa 193 BC
Model: none known
Adaptations: none known

Text and Commentaries

Latin text on-line at the Perseus Project (Leo 1895)
Lindsay, W.M. 1904-1905. T. Macci Plauti Comoediae. 2 vols. Clarendon: Oxford.
Nixon, Paul. 1916-38. Plautus. 5 vols. Loeb Classical Library 60. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 1:459-468.
Lindsay, W. M. 1930. The Captivi of Plautus. 2d ed. London: Methuen.
Ernout, Alfred. 1932. Plaute. 7 vols. Paris: Les Belles Lettres. 2:91-148.

English Translations

Riley, Henry Thomas. 1912. The Comedies of Plautus. 2 vols. London: G. Bell and Sons. 1:423-476.

Translation on-line at the Perseus Project

Nixon, Paul. 1916-38. Plautus. 5 vols. Loeb Classical Library 60. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 1:1-122.
Allison, Sir Robert. 1942. The Complete Roman Drama, ed. George Duckworth. 2 vols. New York: Random House. 1:227-73.
Watling, E. F. 1965. Plautus: The Pot of Gold and Other Plays. New York: Penguin. 51-95.
Roche, Paul.1984. Three Plays by Plautus. New York: Mentor, 1968. Reprint, Wauconda, Illinois: Bolchazy-Carducci. ***
Richard Moore. 1995. Plautus: The Comedies, eds. David R. Slavitt and Palmer Bovie. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press. 1:181-249.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

ERGASILVS – parasite
HEGIO – old man
LORARIVS – slave
PHILOCRATES – young man
TYNDARVS – slave
ARISTOPHONTES – young man
PVER – a boy
PHILOPOLEMVS – young man
STALAGMVS – slave

Act and Scene	Lines	Characters	Action
Prologue	1-68	Poor Actor	The unidentified actor lays out the basic plot of the play. The captives, Philocrates and Tyndarus, have been brought from Elis to Hegio, the master of the house, as spoils from the war between the Eleans and the Aetolians. Tyndarus is actually the son of Hegio but is currently the slave of Philocrates. When Tyndarus was four, a slave stole him from his father and sold him in Elis to the father of Philocrates. The two have switched clothing and names to try to win Philocrates’ freedom. However, Hegio’s other son was also taken to Elis in the war, and so Hegio is trying to buy back all the slaves in hopes of finding his son.
I.i	69-109	Ergasilus	Ergasilus, who is the parasite of Hegio, tells about his master’s troubles. His son, Philopolemus, has been taken to Elis during the conflict. Although Hegio does not want to do it, he buys as many men from Elis as possible so that he may find his son.
I.ii	110-194	Hegio Lorarius Ergasilus	Hegio discusses his new captives and wants them to be in lighter chains. He also says that he hopes to be able to trade the wealthy captive for his son. Ergasilus also shows why he is called the parasite. He casually says what Hegio wants to hear in order to be invited to dinner.
II.i	195-250	Lorarii Tyndarus Philocrates	A slave converses with the captives about making an attempt to run away. The captives request to have a moment in private which is granted by the slave. Here, they discuss their plan of switching places and ensure that each knows his duty.
II.ii	251-360	Hegio Philocrates Tyndarus	Hegio first meets and talks with Philocrates and Tyndarus. With the two having switched places, Hegio interrogates Philocrates, who he thinks is the slave, about the wealth and status of his master. Philocrates tells about how wealthy and noble the family is. Hegio then talks to Tyndarus and discovers that his son is being held captive by Menarchus, a physician to Philocrates’ family. Tyndarus then persuades Hegio to send Philocrates back to Elis along with a message for his father to return Hegio’s son. Cleverly, Hegio has been deceived.
II.iii	361-460	Hegio Philocrates Tyndarus	The three men discuss the details about how the transaction will proceed. It is agreed that Philocrates, disguised as Tyndarus, will go to Elis to inform his father of the situation. There he is supposed to convince Tyndarus’ father, although really his own, that Hegio’s son must be returned in order for his own son to be released. The captives exchange kind words to further deceive Hegio.
III.i	461-497	Ergasilus	In a comic relief soliloquy, Ergasilus complains about his troubles of acquiring a free meal. He tells in detail about his denial in the forum, and then he is off to pursue a free meal at the harbor.
III.ii	498-515	Hegio Aristophontes	In a short monologue, Hegio discusses what he has done since the audience last saw him. He procured his passport from the Praetor and gave it to Tyndarus, really Philocrates, who then departed. Next Hegio went to his brother’s house where he asked his other captives if they knew of Philocrates from Elis. Aristophontes says that he used to be an intimate friend of his. Hegio then brings Aristophontes to his house for their reunion.
III.iii	516-532	Tyndarus	In a brief soliloquy Tyndarus contemplates his own demise. He has seen Aristophontes enter the house and knows that he will reveal their stratagem. He then ponders another plan.
III.iv	533-658	Hegio Tyndarus Aristophontes	Hegio brings Aristophontes to meet Tyndarus. Aristophontes reveals who Tyndarus really is and in defense Tyndarus just claims that Aristophontes is mad. They debate back and forth until Hegio calls Aristophontes aside. There, he is told the truth, and he finally believes it. He realizes he may have been deceived.
III.v	658-767	Hegio Tyndarus Aristophontes	Hegio orders Tyndarus to be bound. They discuss the deceit, and Tyndarus tries to reason with him. He is dragged off to prison where Hegio wants him to be tortured daily. Now Aristophontes is upset with himself for putting Tyndarus in that situation.
IV.i	768-780	Ergasilus	Ergasilus enters and is clearly in an exuberant mood. He has just seen Philocrates arrive at the harbor with Hegio’s son. He is about to go reveal this news to Hegio at the dinner which he is more than thrilled to attend.
IV.ii	781-900	Hegio Ergasilus	Hegio enters still frustrated about being deceived. He sees Ergasilus in the distance coming toward him. After ordering Hegio to bring him a long list of food, Ergasilus finally informs him that he has seen his son at the harbor along with Philocrates and Stalagmus, the slave who stole his first son. Hegio is ecstatic but is a little doubtful.
IV.iii	900-908	Ergasilus	Ergasilus is delighted with his new duty from Hegio: to arrange and prepare dinner.
IV.iv	909-921	Puer	A servant boy of Hegio’s enters and criticizes Ergasilus. Apparently Ergasilus has gone into the house and completely turned it upside down trying to make the dinner preparations.
V.i	922-953	Hegio Philopolemus Philocrates	Hegio is relieved to see his son and that Philocrates kept his word. He says that he will grant Philocrates anything. All Philocrates wants is for Tyndarus to be returned to him. Hegio orders his servants to fetch Tyndarus.
V.ii	954-977	Hegio Stalagmus	Hegio is obviously angry at Stalagmus for kidnapping his son. Hegio tells him that by being truthful he can make his situation somewhat better. Hegio then calls Philocrates.
V.iii	978-997	Philocrates Hegio Stalagmus	Stalagmus tells Philocrates that twenty years ago he sold Hegio’s son to his father in Elis. They discover that Hegio’s other son is in fact Tyndarus.
V.iv	998-1028	Tyndarus Hegio Philocrates Stalagmus	Tyndarus is reunited with his father Hegio. The chains are to be taken off him and placed on Stalagmus.
Caterva	1029-1036	Poor Actor	The Poor Actor then addresses the audience and asks for applause since the play was of chaste manners. He says that not many comedies actually edify the audience.