Poenulus
| Poenulus | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Plautus |
| Characters |
Agorastocles Milphio Adelphasium Anterastilus Lycus Antamonides counselors Collybisucus Syncerastus Hanno Giddenis slave boy |
| Setting | a street in Calydon, Before the houses of Agorastocles and Lycus, and the Temple of Venus |
Poenulus, also called The Little Carthaginian or The Little Punic, is a Latin comedic play for the early Roman theatre by Titus Maccius Plautus, probably written between 195 and 189 BC.[1] The play is noteworthy for containing text in Carthaginian Punic, spoken by the character Hanno in the fifth act.[2]
Plot
Agorastocles is in love with Adelphasium, a slave belonging to the pimp Lycus. Like Agorastocles, she and her sister Anterastilis were stolen from Carthage when they were children and sold. Agorastocles was purchased not to become a slave but rather adopted as a son, whereas the girls were bought to become prostitutes.
Milphio, the slave of Agorastocles, attempts to help his master obtain Adelphasium. Their plan is to trick Lycus and get him into legal trouble. Eventually, Hanno arrives from Carthage, and they soon discover he is the cousin of Agorastocles' parents as well as the father of the two girls. The pimp loses in the end, and the story concludes with a happy family reunion. Hanno gives Agorastocles his blessing to marry his daughter.[3]
Translations
- Henry Thomas Riley, 1912: Poenulus full text
- Paul Nixon, 1916–38
- Janet Burroway, 1970
- Amy Richlin, 2005
- Wolfgang de Melo, 2011 [4]
References
- ↑ Gregor Maurach, Der Poenulus des Plautus (Carl Winter, 1988; ISBN 3533038939), p. 33.
- ↑ Sznycer, Maurice (1967). Les passages punique en transcription latine dans le Poenulus de Plaute. Paris: Librairie C. Klincksieck.
- ↑ Cf., H. J. Rose, A Handbook of Latin Literature (London: Methuen 1936; 3d ed. 1954, reprint Dutton 1960) at 51-52.
- ↑ Plautus; Translated by Wolfgang de Melo (2012). Plautus, Vol IV: The Little Carthaginian; Pseudolus; The Rope. Loeb Classical Library. ISBN 067499986X.