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
Pseudolus, a comedy by the Roman playwright Plautus, depicts the schemes of a clever slave striving to rescue his young master's lover. The young master, Calidorus, is driven to despair upon learning that his beloved courtesan, Phoenicium, is about to be sold to a Macedonian soldier. In response, his cunning slave, Pseudolus, devises a bold plan to snatch her from the ruthless pimp Ballio and swindle the necessary funds from Calidorus's strict father, Simo. Seizing a fortuitous opportunity, Pseudolus intercepts the soldier's real messenger, takes his letter of identification, and has an accomplice disguise himself as the messenger to trick Ballio into releasing the girl. When the real messenger arrives, Ballio and Simo realize they have been thoroughly duped. Ultimately, Pseudolus wins his bet, extracts the promised money from Simo, and, thoroughly drunk from celebrating his triumph, jovially invites his master's father to join him in a celebratory feast.