Titus Maccius Plautus, Amphitruo [Amphitryon]

David M. Christenson (University of Arizona)

Ed. by William John Dominik, University of Otago
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.2: Ancient Roman Writing and Culture (Republic and Empire), -750-476.
Vol. editors: Anca Dan (École Practique de Hautes Études PSL), Martine Diepenbroek (University of Johannesburg), William John Dominik (University of Otago), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Victoria Fendel (University of Oxford), Thomas Habinek (University of Southern California), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Sophia Papaioannou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Guendalina Daniela Maria Taietti (University of Liverpool), Jula Wildberger (American University of Paris)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. -190 - c. -185

Places

Ancient Rome (Republic & Empire) (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Comedy
Play

Resources

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Plautus’

Amphitruo

(ca. 190-185 BCE) is the most complete example of mythical burlesque to survive from Greco-Roman drama (significant sections of four scenes of the play have been lost in transmission: for these see Fantham (1973)). Mythical burlesque (or travesty) was a type of farce in which figures of myth, most notably anthropomorphized gods, appear as characters in the play. This comic sub-genre was especially popular in Greek Old (ca. 5th century BCE) and Middle Comedy (ca. 4th century BCE). Plautus’ source-play for

Amphitruo

is unknown and this lacuna has provoked much discussion. Speculation ranges from the assertion that he adapted a lost Greek Middle Comedy—though where Plautus’ source-plays are known, they belong to ca. 3rd century BCE Greek New Comedy—to the theory…

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1730 words

Citation: Christenson, David M.. "Amphitruo". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 April 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13460, accessed 24 November 2024.]

Titus Maccius Plautus, Amphitruo [Amphitryon]

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