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 play is a lighthearted Roman comedy by Plautus, centering on the young Phaedromus who struggles to free his beloved slave girl, Planesium. Facing a severe lack of funds, Phaedromus is aided by his parasitic client, Curculio, who returns from a journey having stolen a signet ring from the soldier Therapontigonus. Disguising himself as the soldier's messenger, Curculio uses the ring and a forged letter to dupe both a banker and a pimp, successfully securing Planesium's release. However, chaos ensues when the enraged soldier arrives, realizing he has been swindled. Ultimately, the origin of the ring reveals that Planesium is actually the soldier's long-lost sister, leading to a joyful reunion, the approval of her marriage to Phaedromus, and a happy resolution.