Stichus home Plautus (Dramata)

STICHUS

Author: T. Maccius Plautus
Date: 200 B.C., at the Plebian Games
Model: Menander Philadelphoi
Adaptations: None known

Texts 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 328. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 5:1-95.
Ernout, Alfred. 1932. Plaute. 7 vols. Paris: Les Belles Lettres. 6:203-261.
Petersmann, Hubert. 1973. T. Maccius Plautus: Stichus. Heidelberg: C. Winter.

English Translations Available

Riley, Henry Thomas. 1912. The Comedies of Plautus. 2 vols. London: G. Bell and Sons. 1:211-252.

translation on-line at the Perseus Project

Nixon, Paul. 1916-38. Plautus. 5 vols. Loeb Classical Library 328. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 5:1-95.
Workman, John R. 1942. The Complete Roman Drama, ed. George Duckworth. 2 vols. New York: Random House. 2:1-38.
Poster, Carol. 1995. Plautus: The Comedies, eds. David R. Slavitt and Palmer Bovie. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press. 4:313-366.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

PANEGYRIS - wife of EPIGNOMUS
SOROR - wife of PAMPHILUS
ANTIPHO - the old man
GELASIMUS - the parasite
CROCOTIUM - a slave girl
PINACIUM - a boy
EPIGNOMUS
PAMPHILUS
STICHUS - a slave
SANGARINUS - a slave
STEPHANIUM - a slave girl

Act and Scene	Lines	Characters	Action
I.i	1-57	Panegyris Soror	The two sisters discuss the conflicting duties they face – loyalty to their husbands, who have been absent three years, and obedience to their father’s wishes for them to remarry.
I.ii	58-154	Antipho Soror Panegyrus	Under the guise of a conversation about his possible remarriage, Antipho ascertains the dispositions and intentions of his daughters. In the final lines, Crocotium is sent to the harbor to fetch Gelasimus, the parasite, as an informer.
I.iii	155-273	Gelasimus Crocotium	Playing to the pity of bystanders, Gelasimus opens this scene with a monologue bewailing his hunger and the woes of his past and quickly turns to auction off what he does possess in hopes of earning enough money to eat. Once his presence is requested, Gelasimus questions Crocotium in search of the reason he has been sought out but decides to go. As Gelasimus begins the short trip, he sees Pinacium.
II.i	274-325	Pinacium Gelasimus	Returning from fishing in the harbor, Pinacium is speaking to himself of the joyous news he brings to his lady – the return of her husband, Epignomus. After lengthy banter which includes a comical string of opposing questions, Pinacium withholds his good news from Gelasimus and attempts to stir the lady of the house with a series of loud knocks.
II.ii	326-401	Panegyris Gelasimus Pinacium	More questions ensue as Panegyris’ curiosity is peaked with her expectation of good news. Gelasimus andPinacium begin to clean before Pinacium reveals that Epignomus has returned. He speaks of the vast treasures Epignomus has brought back, while Gelasimus continues to clean and dream of a share in the wealth. At the mention of the importation of new parasites, Gelasimus “de-cleans” what he has cleaned and announces his plans to find a way to rid himself of this new-found competition.
III.i	402-453	Epignomus Stichus	The scene opens Epignomus’ monologue, in which he praises Neptune and Mercury for his safe and fruitful voyage and rejoices in his recently salvaged friendship with Antipho. Thereafter, Stichus requests and receives a day off, and Epignomus throws in a cask of wine for good measure. Stichus, then, begins to speak of his plans to entertain his mistress, Stephanium, and his friend, Sangarinus.
III.ii	454-504	Gelasimus Epignomus	Gelasimus invites Epignomus to dinner, but Epignomus declines because because of prior plans. Gelasimus attempts to invite himself to Epignomus’ dinner but is told there is no room for him and that he is not worthy to share the company of Epignomus’ guests.
IV.i	505-578	Antipho Pamphilus Epignomus	Antipho greets Pamphilus and they discuss how each, in turn, will host dinner over the next two days. Through the story which ensues, Antipho covertly asks Pamphilus for a harp girl as a return for the gift of his daughter’s hand in marriage, to which Pamphilus agrees. Pamphilus then asks Epignomus about Gelasimus and his possible invitation to dinner, but as Gelasimus approaches the two brothers opt to have some fun with him.
IV.ii	579-640	Gelasimus Pamphilus Epignomus Pinacium	Gelasimus overhears Epignomus telling Pamphilus to come over after he washes up and, upon asking Pamphilus of his plans, finds out that Pamphilus will be dining out. Gelasimus then attempts to convince Pamphilus to eat in his own home, secretly hoping that he might join him. When he discovers the brothers’ plans for a banquet, Gelasimus begs for an invitation, is denied, and is threatened with imprisonment. Gelasimus subsequently, exits speaking of hanging himself.
V.i	641-648	Stichus	Stichus comments on the futility of his constant watch by the door while he waits for his guests. To help pass the time, Stichus begins on his cask of wine.
V.ii	649-672	Sangarinus Stichus	Sangarinus enters and immediately asks where Stephanium is. As they await her arrival, the men extol the joys of wine, especially when slaves have free reign over the house of their masters, as they do tonight.
V.iii	673-682	Stephanium	Here, Stephanium simply explains to the audience why she is seen leaving the house of Epignomus when she lives in Pamphilipus’ home.
V.iv	683-741	Sangarinus Stichus Piper	As they discuss the unusual courtship situation in which they and Stephanium are involved, the two slaves, and the piper, continue to drink from Stichus’ cask of wine.
V.v	742-765	Stephanium Sangarinus Stichus Piper	As Stephanium enters and explains her tardiness, Stichus breaks into a melodramatic tirade meant to exaggerate the expense of the meal before them. At Stichus’ prompting, the group begins to speak of dancing.
V.vi	766-768	Stephanium Sangarinus Stichus Piper	Sangarinus attempts to kiss Stephanium while the piper continues to drink. Stichus rejoices in Stephanium’s rejection and calls for a song from the piper.
V.vii	769-774	Sangarinus Stichus Piper	The play closes with Stichus and Sangarinus competing in a dance contest for Stephanium’s affection. Soon after they join together and begin to dance in unison, the men turn to the audience and reveal that they have danced themselves sober. The play closes just after this revelation when the men tell the audience to leave.