Source edition
Plautus. Plauti Comoediae, Volume 2. Leo, Friedrich, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1896.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This Roman comedy centers on Toxilus, a slave in love, who struggles to raise funds to purchase the freedom of his beloved courtesan, Lemniselene, from the greedy pimp Dordalus. With the financial help of his friend Sagaristio, Toxilus devises a clever plot to deceive the pimp. They disguise the daughter of a parasite, Saturio, as a captive Persian slave and sell her to Dordalus. Shortly after the sale is completed by Sagaristio playing the role of a Persian merchant, Saturio bursts in to reclaim his freeborn daughter, dragging the tricked pimp to court. Having successfully secured his lover's freedom and exposed the villain, Toxilus and his allies celebrate with a lively banquet, mercilessly mocking the defeated Dordalus as the play reaches its festive conclusion.