Source edition
Plautus. Plauti Comoediae, Volume 1. Leo, Friedrich, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1895.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a bustling ancient Roman comedy centered on a son in need of funds to secure his beloved courtesan, a father eager to support his son's romance, and their clever slaves. The elderly father, Demaenetus, commands his slaves Libanus and Leonida to procure the necessary money to aid his son Argyrippus. Through a bold scheme involving an impersonation of the household steward, the slaves successfully swindle a merchant out of twenty minae, which was meant for the sale of some asses. After playfully tormenting their young master by reversing their social roles, the slaves hand over the money on the condition that the father may join the son and the courtesan at their banquet. However, the situation takes a chaotic turn when Argyrippus's rival, Diabolus, exposes the father's debauchery to his fierce wife, Artemona. The play culminates in a hilarious climax as the furious wife invades the banquet and drags her husband home.