Die Fabulae Varronianae des Plautus ;
- Epidicus), the second the remaining twelve 4.
- Epidicus), the second the remaining twelve 4.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - c
| 7.
Cistellaria.
8.
Epidicus.
9.
Bacchides.
10.
Mos-
His plays were produced for representation at the tellaria. 11. Menaechmi. 12. Miles. 13. Mer-
great public games, and, content with the applause cator. 14. Pseudolus. 15. Poenulus. 16. Persa.
of his contemporaries and the pay which he re- 17. Rudens. 18, Stichus. 19. Trinummus. 20.
ceived, he did not care for the subsequent fate of Truculentus. 21. Vidularia. This is the order in
his works. A few patrons of literature, such as the which they occur in the manuscripts, though pro-
Scipios, may have preserved copies of the works; bably not the one in which they were originally
but the chief inducement to their preservation arranged by Varro. The present order is evidently
was the interest of the managers of the different alphabetical ; the initial letter of the title of each
troops of actors, the domini gregis
, who had origin- play is alone regarded, and no attention is paid to
ally engaged the poet to write the comedies, and had those which follow: hence we find Captivi
, Cur-
paid him for them, and to whom the manuscripts culio, Casina, Cistellaria : Mostellaria, Menaechmi,
accordingly belonged. It was the interest of these Miles, Mercator : Pseudolus, Poenulus, Persa.
persons to preserve the manuscripts, since they The play of the Bacchides forms the only exception
were not always obliged to bring forth new pieces, to the alphabetical order. It was probably placed
but were frequently paid by the magistrates for after the Epidicus by some copyist, because he had
the representation of plays that had been previously observed that Plautus, in the Bacchides (ii. 2. 36),
acted. That the plays of Plautus were performed referred to the Epidicus as an earlier work. The
after his death is stated in several authorities, and alphabetical arrangement is attributed by many to
may be seen even from some of the prologues (e. g. Priscian, to whom is also assigned the short acrostic
the Prologue to the Casina). But when, towards argument prefixed to each play; but there is no cer-
the middle of the sixth century of the city, one tainty on this point, and the Latinity of the acrostic
dramatic poet arose after another, and the taste for arguments is too pure to have been composed 50
stricter imitations from the Greek began to pre- late as the time of Priscian. The names of the
vail, the comedies of Plautus gradually fell into comedies are either taken from some leading cha.
neglect, and consequently the contractors for the racter in the play, or from some circumstance which
public games ceased to care about their preserva- occurs in it: those titles ending in aria are adjec-
tion. Towards the latter end of the century, how- tives, giving a general description of the play: thus
ever, no new comic poets appeared ; and since new Asinuria is the “ Ass-Comedy. " Besides these
comedies ceased to be brought before the public, twenty-one plays we have already remarked, that
attention was naturally recalled to the older Varro, according to Ritschl's conjecture, regarded
dramas. In this manner Plautus began to be nineteen others as the genuine productions of Plau-
popular again, and his comedies were again fre- tus, though not supported by an equal amount of
quently brought upon the stage. Owing, how- testimony as the twenty-one. Ritschl has collected
ever, to the neglect which his works had sustained, from various authorities the titles of these nineteen
it would appear that doubts had arisen respecting plays. They are as follows : 22. Saturio. 23. Ad-
the genuineness of many of his plays, and that dictus. 24. Boeotia. 25. Nervolaria. 26. Fretum.
several were produced under his name, of which 27. Trigemini. 28. Astraba. 29. Parasitus niger.
the authorship was at least uncertain. Thus the 30. Parusitus medicus. 31. Commorientes. 32. Con-
grammarians, who began to draw up lists of his dalium. 33. Gemini leones. 34. Foeneratrix.
plays in the seventh century of the city, had no 35. Frivolaria 36. Sitellitergus. 37. Fugitivi, 38.
small difficulties to encounter; and the question re-
i
Cacistio. 39. Hortulus. 40. Artemo. of the still
specting the genuineness of certain plays was a larger number of comedies commonly ascribed to
fertile subject of controversy. Besides the treatise Plautus, but not recognised by Varro, the titles of
## p. 410 (#426) ############################################
410
PLAUTUS.
PLAUTUS.
66
only a few have been preserved. They are: the new Attic comedy whom Plautus took as his
à. Colax. 2. Carbonaria. 3. Acharistio. 4. Bis models.
compressa. 5 Anus. 6. Agroecus. 7. Dyscolus. It was, however, not only with the common
8. Phagon. (? ) 9. Cornicula or Cornicularia. 10. people that Plautus was a favourite ; educated
Calceolus. 11. Baccaria. 12. Lipargus. (? ) 13. Romans read and admired his works down to the
Caecus or Praedones. Thus we have the titles of latest times. The purity of his language and the
21 Varronian comedies of the first class, 19 of the refinement and good-humour of his wit are cele-
second and third classes, and 13 comedies not ac-brated in particular by the ancient critics. The
knowledged by Varro, in all 53. Accordingly, if grammarian L. Aelius Stilo used to say, and Varro
there were 130 comedies bearing the name of adopted his words,“ that the Muses would use
Plautus, we have lost all notice of 77. There is a the language of Plautus, if they were to speak
play entitled Querolus or Aulularia, which bears | Latin. " (Apud Quintil x. I. $ 99. ) In the same
the name of Plautus in the manuscripts, and is manner A. Gellius constantly praises the language
quoted under his name by Servius (ad Virg. Aen. of Plautus in the highest terins, and in one passage
iii. 226). It is evidently, however, not the pro- (vii. 17) speaks of him as “ homo linguae atque
duction of our poet, and was probably written in elegantiae in verbis Latinae princeps. ” Cicero (de
the third or fourth century of the Christian aera. Off: i. 29) places his wit on a par with that of the
The best edition of it is by Klinkhammer, entitled, old Attic comedy, and St. Jerome used to console
Querolus sive Aulularia, incerti auctoris comoedia himself with the perusal of the poet after spending
togata," Amsterdam, 1829.
many nights in tears, on account of his past sins.
The comedies of Plautus enjoyed unrivalled po- The favourable opinion which the ancients enter-
pularity among the Romans. Of this we have a tained of the merits of Plautus has been confirmed
proof in their repeated representations after the by the judgment of the best modern critics, and
poet's death, to which we have already alluded. by the fact that several of his plays have been
In a house at Pompeii a ticket was found for ad- imitated by many of the best modern poets. Thus
mission to the representation of the Casina of the Amphitruo has been imitated by Molière and
Plautus (see Orelli, Inscript. No. 2539), which Dryden, the Aulularia by Molière in his Arare, the
must consequently have been performed at that Mostellaria by Regnard, Addison, and others, the
time, shortly before its destruction in a. D. 79; and Menaechmi by Shakspere in his Comedy of Er-
we learn from Arnobius that the Amphitruo was tours, the Trinummus by Lessing in his Schatz,
acted in the reign of Diocletian. The continued and so with others. Lessing, who was undoubtedly
popularity of Plautus, through so many centuries, one of the greatest critics of modern times, de
was owing, in a great measure, to his being a clares the Captivi of Plautus to be the finest
national poet. For though his comedies belong comedy that was ever brought upon the stage, and
to the Comoedia palliata, and were taken, for says that he had repeatedly read it with the view
the most part, from the poets of the new Attic of discovering some fault in it, and was never able
comedy, we should do great injustice to Plautus to do so ; but, on the contrary, saw fresh reasons
if we regarded him as a slavish imitator of the for admiring it on each perusal. Horace (De Arte
Greeks. Though he founds his plays upon Greek Poët. 270), indeed, expresses a less favourable
models, the characters in them act, speak, and opinion of Plautus, and speaks with contempt of
joke like genuine Romans, and he thereby secured his verses and jests ; but it must be recollected
the sympathy of his audience more completely than that the taste of Horace had been formed by a
-Terence could ever have done. Whether Plautus different school of literature, and that he disliked
borrowed the plan of all his plays from Greek the ancient poets of his country. Lessing, how-
models, it is impossible to say. The Cistellaria, Bac-ever, has shown that the censure of Horace pro-
chides, Poenulus, and Stichus were taken from Me- bably does not refer to the general character of
nander, the Casina and Rudens from Diphilus, and Plautus's poetry, but merely to his inharmonious
the Mercator and the Trinummus from Philemon, verses and to some of his jests. And it must be
and many others were undoubtedly founded upon admitted that only a blind admiration of the poet
Greek originals. But in all cases Plautus allowed can fail to recognise some truth in the censure
himself much greater liberty than Terence ; and in of Horace. Prosody and metre are not always
some instances he appears to have simply taken strictly attended to, and there is frequently a want
the leading idea of the play from the Greek, and of harmony in his verses. His jests, also, are
to have filled it up in his own fashion. It has often coarse, and sometimes puerile ; but it must
been inferred from a well-known line of Horace be recollected that they were intended to please
(Epist. ii. 1. 58), “ Plautus ad exemplar Siculi the lower classes of Romne, and were accordingly
properare Epicharmi,”, that Plautus took great adapted to the tastes of the day. The objections
pains to imitate Epicharmus. But there is no brought against the jokes of Plautus are equally
correspondence between any of the existing plays applicable to those of Shakspere.
of Plautus, and the known titles of the comedies The text of Plautus has come down to us in a
of Epicharmus ; and the verb properare probably very corrupt state. It contains many lacunae and
las reference only to the liveliness and energy of interpolations. Thus the Aulularia has lost its
Plautus's style, in which he bore a resemblance to conclusion, the Bacchides its commencement, &c. ;
the Sicilian poet.
Another mistake has arisen and we find in the grammarians several quota-
from the statement of Jerome (Ep. 57, 101) that tions from the existing plays of Plautus which are
Plautus imitated the poets of the old Attic co- not found in our present copies. The interpola-
medy, but the only resemblance he bears to them tions are still more numerous than the lacunae, and
is in the coarseness and boldness of his jokes. He were for the most part made for the purpose of sup-
borrowed to a slight extent from the middle Attic plying gaps in the original manuscript. Some of
comedy, from which the Amphitruo was taken ; but, these were introduced in ancient times, as is proved
as we have already remarked, it was the poets of | by their existence in the Palimpsest manuscript at
1
1
## p. 411 (#427) ############################################
PLAUTUS
411
PLEIADES.
Milan, which is as old as the fifth century, but I plays, of which Lessing's excellent translation of
most of them were executed at the revival of learn the Captivi deserves to be particularly mentioned.
ing, and evidently betray their modern origin. There is likewise a translation in German of the
See the essay of Niebuhr on this subject, entitled complete works by Kuffner, Vienna, 1806-1807,
“Ueber die als untergeschoben bezeichneten Scenen 5 vols. 8vo. , of nine of the plays by Köpke, Berlin.
im Plautus," in his “ Kleine Schriften," vol. i. 1809-20, 2 vols. 8vo, and of eight by Rapp,
p. 159, &c. The corruptions of the text are owing Stuttgart, 1838-46.
to the fact that all the existing manuscripts of The most important works on the life and works
Plautus, with the exception of the Milan Palimp of Plautis are the following :-- Lessing, Von dem
sest, are derived from one common source. The Leben und den Werken des Plautus, in the 3rd ro-
editors of Plautus, however, have not founded the lume of his collected works, Berlin, 1838 ; Osann,
text upon the best existing manuscripts. These Analecta critica, &c. ; insunt Plauti Fragmenta ab
are the Codex vetus and decurtatus, which must, Ang. Muio nuper reperlu, Berlin, 1816; Gep-
in connection with the Palimpsest manuscript of pert, Veber den Codex Ambrosianus, und seinen Ein-
Milan, form the basis with any future editor for a fluss auf die Plautinische K'rilik, Leipzig, 1847; and
restoration of the genuine text. (See Ritschl, Ueber above all Ritschl, Pareryon Pluutinurum Teren-
dic Kritik des Pluutus, in the Ricinisches Museum, rianorumque, Leipzig, 1845, containing the follow-
vol. iv. p. 153, &c. ) It nppears that the comedies ing valuable dissertations in relation to Plautus :
of Plautus were, at an early time, divided into two 1. De Plauti Poctae Nominibus; 2. De Aetate
parts, the first containing eight plays (Amphitruo Plauti ; 3.
Die Fabulae Varronianae des Plautus ;
- Epidicus), the second the remaining twelve 4. Die Plautinischen Didaskalien ; 5. De Actae
(Bacchides — Truculentus. ) The last twelve plays Trinummi Tempore ; 6. De Veteribus Plauti Inter-
were at first unknown in Italy at the revival of pretibus ; 7. De Plauti Bacchidibus ; 8. De tur.
learning: they were discovered in Germany about bato Scenarum Ordine Mostelariae Plautinae ; 9.
1430, and from thence conveyed to Italy. It may De Interpolatione Trinummi Plautinae.
be mentioned in passing, that this division of the PLAUTUS, C. RUBELLIUS, was the son of
plays into two parts accounts for the loss of the Rubellius Blandus (BLANDUS) and of Julia, the
beginning of the Bacchides, which was the first daughter of Drusus, the son of the emperor Tibe-
play of the volume, and the commencement of rius. Plautus was thus the great-grandson of
which might therefore have been easily torn away. Tiberius, and the great-great-grandson of Augustus,
The editio princeps of the complete works of | in consequence of Tiberius having been adopted by
Plautus was published at Venice, by Georgius Me- Augustus. Descended thus from the founder of the
rula, in 1472. There was a still earlier edition of Roman empire, Plautus incurred the jealousy of
the first eight plays of Plautus (Amphitruo-Epi- Nero. He was involved in the accusatione which
dicus), printed ai Venice, without date, of which Junia Silana brought against Agrippina in A. D.
probably only one copy is now in existence, pre- 55, whom she accused of a design of marrying
serred in the public library at Venice. Niebuhr Plautus, and raising him to the imperial throne.
called attention to this edition (Kleine Schriften, Five years afterwards, A. D. 60, a comet appeared,
vol. i. p. 176, &c. ), but it had been previously which, according to the popular opinion, was
noticed by Harles (Supplem. ad Brev. Notit. Lit. thought to forebode a change in the empire. The
Rom. part ii. p. 483). Of the other earlier editions people thereupon were set thinking who would be
the best are those by Camerarius, Basel, 1558 ; Nero's successor ; and no one appeared to them
by Lambinus, Paris, 1576 ; by Taubmann, Wit- so fit as Rubellius Plautus. Although the latter
tenberg, 1605 ; by Pareus, Frankfort, 1610 ; by lived in the most quiet manner, avoiding the
Gruter, with Taubmann's commentary, Wittenberg, popular notice, and harbouring no traitorous de-
1621 ; by J. Fr. Gronovius, Leyden, 1664, re- signs, Nero wrote to him, recommending him to
printed at the same place in 1669, at Amsterdam withdraw from the city to his estates in Asia.
in 1684, and again at Leipzig, under the care of Such advice was, of course, equivalent to a com-
J. A. Ernesti, in 1760. The best modern editions mand ; Plautus accordingly retired to Asia with
of the complete works of Plautus are by Bothe, his wife Antistia, the daughter of L. Antistius
Berlin, 1809 – 1811, 4 vols. 8vo. , again at Stutt- Vetus, and employed himself in his exile in the
gardt, 1829, 4 yols. 8vo. , and lastly at Leipzig, study of the Stoic philosophy. But even in this
1834, 2 vols. 8vo. ; and by Weise, Quedlinburg, retreat he was not safe ; for Tigellinus having
1837—1838, 2 vols. 8vo. There are some editions again excited the fears of Nero in A. D. 62 against
of the separate plays of Plautus which deserve parti- Plautus, he was murdered in Asia by comirand of
cular recommendation. These are the Captivi, Miles, the emperor. Many of his friends advised him to
and Trinumnus, by Lindemann, Leipzig, 1814, take up arms to resist his executioners, and his
2d edition ; the Bacchides, by Ritschl, Halle, 1835; father-in-law Antistius Vetus wrote to him to the
and the Trinummus by Hermann, Leipzig, 1800. same effect ; but Plautus preferred death to an
Plautus has been translated into almost all the uncertain struggle for the empire. (Tac. Ann.
European languages. In English some of the plays xiii. 19, xiv. 22, 57, 59; Dion Cass. lxii. 14;
were translated by Echard in 1716, by Cooke in Juv. viii. 39. )
1754, and by Cotter in 1827 ; and there is a PLEIADES (Πλειάδες Or Πελειάδες), the
translation in English of all the works of Plautus Pleiads, are called daughters of Atlas by Pleione
by Thornton and Warner, 1767--1774, 5 rols. | (or by the Oceanid Aethra, Eustath. ad Hom.
8vo. In French we have the translations of the p. 1155), of Erechtheus (Serv. ad Aen. i. 741),
Amphitruo, Epidicus, and Rudens, by Madame of Cadmus (Theon, ad Arat. p. 22), or of the
Dacier, 1683, and of the complete works by Li- queen of the Amazons. (Schol. ad Theocrit. xiii.
miers, Amsterdam, 1719, 10 vols. 8vo, and by 25. ) They were the sisters of the Hyades, and
Guendeville, Leyden, 1719, 10 vols. 8vo. In seven in number, six of whom are described as
German there are several translations of single visible, and the seventh as invisible. Some call
T
## p. 412 (#428) ############################################
412
PLEISTARCHUS.
PLEISTOANAX.
1
1
1
I
I
a
the seventh Sterope, and relate that she became the general coalition was formed against Antiga
invisible from shame, because she alone among her nus, Pleistarchus was sent forward by his brother,
sisters had had intercourse with a mortal man; with an army of 12,000 foot and 500 horse, to
others call her Electra, and make her disappear join Lysimachus in Asia. As the Hellespont and
from the choir of her sisters on account of her entrance of the Euxine was occupied by Deme
grief at the destruction of the house of Dardanus trius, he endeavoured to transport his troops from
(lygin. Fab. 192, Poet. Astr. ii. 21). The Odessus direct to Heracleia, but lost by far the
Pleiades are said to have made away with them- greater part on the passage, some having been cap
Belves from grief at the death of their sisters, the tured by the enemy's ships, while others perished
Hyades, or at the fate of their father, Atlas, and in a storm, in which Pleistarchus himself narrowly
were afterwards placed as stars at the back of escaped shipwreck. (ld. xx. 112. ) Notwith-
Taurus, where they form a cluster resembling a standing this misfortune, he seems to have ren-
bunch of grapes, whience they were sometimes called dered efficient service to the confederates, for which
BbTpus (Eustath. al llom. p. 1155). According he was rewarded after the battle of Ipsus (B. C.
to another story, the Pleindes were virgin com- 301) by obtaining the province of Cilicia, as an
panions of Artemis, and, together with their mother independent government. This, however, he did
Pleione, were pursued by the hunter Orion in not long retain, being expelled from it in the fol-
Boeotia ; their prayer to be rescued from him was lowing year, by Demetrius, almost without oppo
heard by the gods, and they were metamorphosed sition. (Plut. Demetr. 31. ) Hereupon he returned
into doves (nedevades), and placed among the stars to his brother Cassander, and from this time we
(Hygin. Poet. Astr. ii. 21; Schol. ud Apollon. hear no more of him. Pausanias mentions him
Rhod. iii. 226; Pind. Nem. ii. 17). The rising as having been defeated by the Athenians in an
of the Pleiades in Italy was about the beginning of action in which he commanded the cavalry and
May, and their setting about the beginning of No- auxiliaries of Cassander ; but the period at which
vember. Their names are Electra, Maia, Taygete, this event took place is uncertain. (Paus. i. 15.
Alcyone, Celaeno, Sterope, and Merope (Tzetz. ad $ 1. ) It is perhaps to him that the medical
Lyc: 219, comp. 149 ; Apollod. iii. 10. $ 1). The writer, Diocles of Carystus, addressed his work,
scholiast of Theocritus (xiii. 25) gives the follow- which is cited more than once by Athenaeus, as
ing different set of names: Coccymo, Plaucia, Protis, id tpos II Aelotapxov 'Tyreivá. (Athen. vii. p. 320,
Parthemia, Maia, Stonychia, Lampatho. (Comp. d, 324, f. )
[E. H. B. ]
Hom. I. xviii. 486, Od. v. 272 ; Ov. Fust. iv. 169, PLEI'STHENES (FIXelodévns), a son of Atreus,
&c. ; Hyades ; and Ideler, Untersuch, über die and husband of Aerope or Eriphyle, the daughter
Sternennamen, p. 144. )
(L. S. ] of Catreus, by whom he became the father of Aga-
PLEI'ONE (II^nióvn), a daughter of Oceanus, memnon, Menelaus, and Anaxibia (Apollod. ii. 2.
and mother of the Pleiades by Atlas. (Apollod. iii. $ 2 ; Schol. ad Eurip. Or. 5 ; Aeschyl. Agam.
10. § 1; Pind. Fragm. 53 ; comp. Atlas ; PLEI 1569 ; comp. AGAMEMNON ; ATREUS). A son
ADES. )
(L. S. ] of Thyestes, who was killed by Atreus, was like
PLEISTAE'NETUS (NIAelotalvetos), an wise called Pleisthenes. (Hygin. Fab. 88. ) (L. S. )
Athenian painter, the brother of Pheidias, is men- PLEISTO'ΑΝΑΧ (πλειστοάναξ, Πλειστώ
tioned by Plutarch (De Glor. Athen. ii. p. 346) vaß), the nineteenth king of Sparta in the line of
among the most celebrated painters, such as Apol- the Agidae, was the eldest son of the Pausanias
lodorus, Euphranor, Nicias, and Asclepiodorus, who who conquered at Plataea in B. c. 479. On the
painted victories, battles, and heroes ; but there is death of Pleistarchus, in B. C. 458, without issue,
no other mention of him.
[P. S. ] Pleistoanax succeeded to the throne, being yet a
PLEISTARCHUS (Ilelotapxos). ].
His plays were produced for representation at the tellaria. 11. Menaechmi. 12. Miles. 13. Mer-
great public games, and, content with the applause cator. 14. Pseudolus. 15. Poenulus. 16. Persa.
of his contemporaries and the pay which he re- 17. Rudens. 18, Stichus. 19. Trinummus. 20.
ceived, he did not care for the subsequent fate of Truculentus. 21. Vidularia. This is the order in
his works. A few patrons of literature, such as the which they occur in the manuscripts, though pro-
Scipios, may have preserved copies of the works; bably not the one in which they were originally
but the chief inducement to their preservation arranged by Varro. The present order is evidently
was the interest of the managers of the different alphabetical ; the initial letter of the title of each
troops of actors, the domini gregis
, who had origin- play is alone regarded, and no attention is paid to
ally engaged the poet to write the comedies, and had those which follow: hence we find Captivi
, Cur-
paid him for them, and to whom the manuscripts culio, Casina, Cistellaria : Mostellaria, Menaechmi,
accordingly belonged. It was the interest of these Miles, Mercator : Pseudolus, Poenulus, Persa.
persons to preserve the manuscripts, since they The play of the Bacchides forms the only exception
were not always obliged to bring forth new pieces, to the alphabetical order. It was probably placed
but were frequently paid by the magistrates for after the Epidicus by some copyist, because he had
the representation of plays that had been previously observed that Plautus, in the Bacchides (ii. 2. 36),
acted. That the plays of Plautus were performed referred to the Epidicus as an earlier work. The
after his death is stated in several authorities, and alphabetical arrangement is attributed by many to
may be seen even from some of the prologues (e. g. Priscian, to whom is also assigned the short acrostic
the Prologue to the Casina). But when, towards argument prefixed to each play; but there is no cer-
the middle of the sixth century of the city, one tainty on this point, and the Latinity of the acrostic
dramatic poet arose after another, and the taste for arguments is too pure to have been composed 50
stricter imitations from the Greek began to pre- late as the time of Priscian. The names of the
vail, the comedies of Plautus gradually fell into comedies are either taken from some leading cha.
neglect, and consequently the contractors for the racter in the play, or from some circumstance which
public games ceased to care about their preserva- occurs in it: those titles ending in aria are adjec-
tion. Towards the latter end of the century, how- tives, giving a general description of the play: thus
ever, no new comic poets appeared ; and since new Asinuria is the “ Ass-Comedy. " Besides these
comedies ceased to be brought before the public, twenty-one plays we have already remarked, that
attention was naturally recalled to the older Varro, according to Ritschl's conjecture, regarded
dramas. In this manner Plautus began to be nineteen others as the genuine productions of Plau-
popular again, and his comedies were again fre- tus, though not supported by an equal amount of
quently brought upon the stage. Owing, how- testimony as the twenty-one. Ritschl has collected
ever, to the neglect which his works had sustained, from various authorities the titles of these nineteen
it would appear that doubts had arisen respecting plays. They are as follows : 22. Saturio. 23. Ad-
the genuineness of many of his plays, and that dictus. 24. Boeotia. 25. Nervolaria. 26. Fretum.
several were produced under his name, of which 27. Trigemini. 28. Astraba. 29. Parasitus niger.
the authorship was at least uncertain. Thus the 30. Parusitus medicus. 31. Commorientes. 32. Con-
grammarians, who began to draw up lists of his dalium. 33. Gemini leones. 34. Foeneratrix.
plays in the seventh century of the city, had no 35. Frivolaria 36. Sitellitergus. 37. Fugitivi, 38.
small difficulties to encounter; and the question re-
i
Cacistio. 39. Hortulus. 40. Artemo. of the still
specting the genuineness of certain plays was a larger number of comedies commonly ascribed to
fertile subject of controversy. Besides the treatise Plautus, but not recognised by Varro, the titles of
## p. 410 (#426) ############################################
410
PLAUTUS.
PLAUTUS.
66
only a few have been preserved. They are: the new Attic comedy whom Plautus took as his
à. Colax. 2. Carbonaria. 3. Acharistio. 4. Bis models.
compressa. 5 Anus. 6. Agroecus. 7. Dyscolus. It was, however, not only with the common
8. Phagon. (? ) 9. Cornicula or Cornicularia. 10. people that Plautus was a favourite ; educated
Calceolus. 11. Baccaria. 12. Lipargus. (? ) 13. Romans read and admired his works down to the
Caecus or Praedones. Thus we have the titles of latest times. The purity of his language and the
21 Varronian comedies of the first class, 19 of the refinement and good-humour of his wit are cele-
second and third classes, and 13 comedies not ac-brated in particular by the ancient critics. The
knowledged by Varro, in all 53. Accordingly, if grammarian L. Aelius Stilo used to say, and Varro
there were 130 comedies bearing the name of adopted his words,“ that the Muses would use
Plautus, we have lost all notice of 77. There is a the language of Plautus, if they were to speak
play entitled Querolus or Aulularia, which bears | Latin. " (Apud Quintil x. I. $ 99. ) In the same
the name of Plautus in the manuscripts, and is manner A. Gellius constantly praises the language
quoted under his name by Servius (ad Virg. Aen. of Plautus in the highest terins, and in one passage
iii. 226). It is evidently, however, not the pro- (vii. 17) speaks of him as “ homo linguae atque
duction of our poet, and was probably written in elegantiae in verbis Latinae princeps. ” Cicero (de
the third or fourth century of the Christian aera. Off: i. 29) places his wit on a par with that of the
The best edition of it is by Klinkhammer, entitled, old Attic comedy, and St. Jerome used to console
Querolus sive Aulularia, incerti auctoris comoedia himself with the perusal of the poet after spending
togata," Amsterdam, 1829.
many nights in tears, on account of his past sins.
The comedies of Plautus enjoyed unrivalled po- The favourable opinion which the ancients enter-
pularity among the Romans. Of this we have a tained of the merits of Plautus has been confirmed
proof in their repeated representations after the by the judgment of the best modern critics, and
poet's death, to which we have already alluded. by the fact that several of his plays have been
In a house at Pompeii a ticket was found for ad- imitated by many of the best modern poets. Thus
mission to the representation of the Casina of the Amphitruo has been imitated by Molière and
Plautus (see Orelli, Inscript. No. 2539), which Dryden, the Aulularia by Molière in his Arare, the
must consequently have been performed at that Mostellaria by Regnard, Addison, and others, the
time, shortly before its destruction in a. D. 79; and Menaechmi by Shakspere in his Comedy of Er-
we learn from Arnobius that the Amphitruo was tours, the Trinummus by Lessing in his Schatz,
acted in the reign of Diocletian. The continued and so with others. Lessing, who was undoubtedly
popularity of Plautus, through so many centuries, one of the greatest critics of modern times, de
was owing, in a great measure, to his being a clares the Captivi of Plautus to be the finest
national poet. For though his comedies belong comedy that was ever brought upon the stage, and
to the Comoedia palliata, and were taken, for says that he had repeatedly read it with the view
the most part, from the poets of the new Attic of discovering some fault in it, and was never able
comedy, we should do great injustice to Plautus to do so ; but, on the contrary, saw fresh reasons
if we regarded him as a slavish imitator of the for admiring it on each perusal. Horace (De Arte
Greeks. Though he founds his plays upon Greek Poët. 270), indeed, expresses a less favourable
models, the characters in them act, speak, and opinion of Plautus, and speaks with contempt of
joke like genuine Romans, and he thereby secured his verses and jests ; but it must be recollected
the sympathy of his audience more completely than that the taste of Horace had been formed by a
-Terence could ever have done. Whether Plautus different school of literature, and that he disliked
borrowed the plan of all his plays from Greek the ancient poets of his country. Lessing, how-
models, it is impossible to say. The Cistellaria, Bac-ever, has shown that the censure of Horace pro-
chides, Poenulus, and Stichus were taken from Me- bably does not refer to the general character of
nander, the Casina and Rudens from Diphilus, and Plautus's poetry, but merely to his inharmonious
the Mercator and the Trinummus from Philemon, verses and to some of his jests. And it must be
and many others were undoubtedly founded upon admitted that only a blind admiration of the poet
Greek originals. But in all cases Plautus allowed can fail to recognise some truth in the censure
himself much greater liberty than Terence ; and in of Horace. Prosody and metre are not always
some instances he appears to have simply taken strictly attended to, and there is frequently a want
the leading idea of the play from the Greek, and of harmony in his verses. His jests, also, are
to have filled it up in his own fashion. It has often coarse, and sometimes puerile ; but it must
been inferred from a well-known line of Horace be recollected that they were intended to please
(Epist. ii. 1. 58), “ Plautus ad exemplar Siculi the lower classes of Romne, and were accordingly
properare Epicharmi,”, that Plautus took great adapted to the tastes of the day. The objections
pains to imitate Epicharmus. But there is no brought against the jokes of Plautus are equally
correspondence between any of the existing plays applicable to those of Shakspere.
of Plautus, and the known titles of the comedies The text of Plautus has come down to us in a
of Epicharmus ; and the verb properare probably very corrupt state. It contains many lacunae and
las reference only to the liveliness and energy of interpolations. Thus the Aulularia has lost its
Plautus's style, in which he bore a resemblance to conclusion, the Bacchides its commencement, &c. ;
the Sicilian poet.
Another mistake has arisen and we find in the grammarians several quota-
from the statement of Jerome (Ep. 57, 101) that tions from the existing plays of Plautus which are
Plautus imitated the poets of the old Attic co- not found in our present copies. The interpola-
medy, but the only resemblance he bears to them tions are still more numerous than the lacunae, and
is in the coarseness and boldness of his jokes. He were for the most part made for the purpose of sup-
borrowed to a slight extent from the middle Attic plying gaps in the original manuscript. Some of
comedy, from which the Amphitruo was taken ; but, these were introduced in ancient times, as is proved
as we have already remarked, it was the poets of | by their existence in the Palimpsest manuscript at
1
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PLAUTUS
411
PLEIADES.
Milan, which is as old as the fifth century, but I plays, of which Lessing's excellent translation of
most of them were executed at the revival of learn the Captivi deserves to be particularly mentioned.
ing, and evidently betray their modern origin. There is likewise a translation in German of the
See the essay of Niebuhr on this subject, entitled complete works by Kuffner, Vienna, 1806-1807,
“Ueber die als untergeschoben bezeichneten Scenen 5 vols. 8vo. , of nine of the plays by Köpke, Berlin.
im Plautus," in his “ Kleine Schriften," vol. i. 1809-20, 2 vols. 8vo, and of eight by Rapp,
p. 159, &c. The corruptions of the text are owing Stuttgart, 1838-46.
to the fact that all the existing manuscripts of The most important works on the life and works
Plautus, with the exception of the Milan Palimp of Plautis are the following :-- Lessing, Von dem
sest, are derived from one common source. The Leben und den Werken des Plautus, in the 3rd ro-
editors of Plautus, however, have not founded the lume of his collected works, Berlin, 1838 ; Osann,
text upon the best existing manuscripts. These Analecta critica, &c. ; insunt Plauti Fragmenta ab
are the Codex vetus and decurtatus, which must, Ang. Muio nuper reperlu, Berlin, 1816; Gep-
in connection with the Palimpsest manuscript of pert, Veber den Codex Ambrosianus, und seinen Ein-
Milan, form the basis with any future editor for a fluss auf die Plautinische K'rilik, Leipzig, 1847; and
restoration of the genuine text. (See Ritschl, Ueber above all Ritschl, Pareryon Pluutinurum Teren-
dic Kritik des Pluutus, in the Ricinisches Museum, rianorumque, Leipzig, 1845, containing the follow-
vol. iv. p. 153, &c. ) It nppears that the comedies ing valuable dissertations in relation to Plautus :
of Plautus were, at an early time, divided into two 1. De Plauti Poctae Nominibus; 2. De Aetate
parts, the first containing eight plays (Amphitruo Plauti ; 3.
Die Fabulae Varronianae des Plautus ;
- Epidicus), the second the remaining twelve 4. Die Plautinischen Didaskalien ; 5. De Actae
(Bacchides — Truculentus. ) The last twelve plays Trinummi Tempore ; 6. De Veteribus Plauti Inter-
were at first unknown in Italy at the revival of pretibus ; 7. De Plauti Bacchidibus ; 8. De tur.
learning: they were discovered in Germany about bato Scenarum Ordine Mostelariae Plautinae ; 9.
1430, and from thence conveyed to Italy. It may De Interpolatione Trinummi Plautinae.
be mentioned in passing, that this division of the PLAUTUS, C. RUBELLIUS, was the son of
plays into two parts accounts for the loss of the Rubellius Blandus (BLANDUS) and of Julia, the
beginning of the Bacchides, which was the first daughter of Drusus, the son of the emperor Tibe-
play of the volume, and the commencement of rius. Plautus was thus the great-grandson of
which might therefore have been easily torn away. Tiberius, and the great-great-grandson of Augustus,
The editio princeps of the complete works of | in consequence of Tiberius having been adopted by
Plautus was published at Venice, by Georgius Me- Augustus. Descended thus from the founder of the
rula, in 1472. There was a still earlier edition of Roman empire, Plautus incurred the jealousy of
the first eight plays of Plautus (Amphitruo-Epi- Nero. He was involved in the accusatione which
dicus), printed ai Venice, without date, of which Junia Silana brought against Agrippina in A. D.
probably only one copy is now in existence, pre- 55, whom she accused of a design of marrying
serred in the public library at Venice. Niebuhr Plautus, and raising him to the imperial throne.
called attention to this edition (Kleine Schriften, Five years afterwards, A. D. 60, a comet appeared,
vol. i. p. 176, &c. ), but it had been previously which, according to the popular opinion, was
noticed by Harles (Supplem. ad Brev. Notit. Lit. thought to forebode a change in the empire. The
Rom. part ii. p. 483). Of the other earlier editions people thereupon were set thinking who would be
the best are those by Camerarius, Basel, 1558 ; Nero's successor ; and no one appeared to them
by Lambinus, Paris, 1576 ; by Taubmann, Wit- so fit as Rubellius Plautus. Although the latter
tenberg, 1605 ; by Pareus, Frankfort, 1610 ; by lived in the most quiet manner, avoiding the
Gruter, with Taubmann's commentary, Wittenberg, popular notice, and harbouring no traitorous de-
1621 ; by J. Fr. Gronovius, Leyden, 1664, re- signs, Nero wrote to him, recommending him to
printed at the same place in 1669, at Amsterdam withdraw from the city to his estates in Asia.
in 1684, and again at Leipzig, under the care of Such advice was, of course, equivalent to a com-
J. A. Ernesti, in 1760. The best modern editions mand ; Plautus accordingly retired to Asia with
of the complete works of Plautus are by Bothe, his wife Antistia, the daughter of L. Antistius
Berlin, 1809 – 1811, 4 vols. 8vo. , again at Stutt- Vetus, and employed himself in his exile in the
gardt, 1829, 4 yols. 8vo. , and lastly at Leipzig, study of the Stoic philosophy. But even in this
1834, 2 vols. 8vo. ; and by Weise, Quedlinburg, retreat he was not safe ; for Tigellinus having
1837—1838, 2 vols. 8vo. There are some editions again excited the fears of Nero in A. D. 62 against
of the separate plays of Plautus which deserve parti- Plautus, he was murdered in Asia by comirand of
cular recommendation. These are the Captivi, Miles, the emperor. Many of his friends advised him to
and Trinumnus, by Lindemann, Leipzig, 1814, take up arms to resist his executioners, and his
2d edition ; the Bacchides, by Ritschl, Halle, 1835; father-in-law Antistius Vetus wrote to him to the
and the Trinummus by Hermann, Leipzig, 1800. same effect ; but Plautus preferred death to an
Plautus has been translated into almost all the uncertain struggle for the empire. (Tac. Ann.
European languages. In English some of the plays xiii. 19, xiv. 22, 57, 59; Dion Cass. lxii. 14;
were translated by Echard in 1716, by Cooke in Juv. viii. 39. )
1754, and by Cotter in 1827 ; and there is a PLEIADES (Πλειάδες Or Πελειάδες), the
translation in English of all the works of Plautus Pleiads, are called daughters of Atlas by Pleione
by Thornton and Warner, 1767--1774, 5 rols. | (or by the Oceanid Aethra, Eustath. ad Hom.
8vo. In French we have the translations of the p. 1155), of Erechtheus (Serv. ad Aen. i. 741),
Amphitruo, Epidicus, and Rudens, by Madame of Cadmus (Theon, ad Arat. p. 22), or of the
Dacier, 1683, and of the complete works by Li- queen of the Amazons. (Schol. ad Theocrit. xiii.
miers, Amsterdam, 1719, 10 vols. 8vo, and by 25. ) They were the sisters of the Hyades, and
Guendeville, Leyden, 1719, 10 vols. 8vo. In seven in number, six of whom are described as
German there are several translations of single visible, and the seventh as invisible. Some call
T
## p. 412 (#428) ############################################
412
PLEISTARCHUS.
PLEISTOANAX.
1
1
1
I
I
a
the seventh Sterope, and relate that she became the general coalition was formed against Antiga
invisible from shame, because she alone among her nus, Pleistarchus was sent forward by his brother,
sisters had had intercourse with a mortal man; with an army of 12,000 foot and 500 horse, to
others call her Electra, and make her disappear join Lysimachus in Asia. As the Hellespont and
from the choir of her sisters on account of her entrance of the Euxine was occupied by Deme
grief at the destruction of the house of Dardanus trius, he endeavoured to transport his troops from
(lygin. Fab. 192, Poet. Astr. ii. 21). The Odessus direct to Heracleia, but lost by far the
Pleiades are said to have made away with them- greater part on the passage, some having been cap
Belves from grief at the death of their sisters, the tured by the enemy's ships, while others perished
Hyades, or at the fate of their father, Atlas, and in a storm, in which Pleistarchus himself narrowly
were afterwards placed as stars at the back of escaped shipwreck. (ld. xx. 112. ) Notwith-
Taurus, where they form a cluster resembling a standing this misfortune, he seems to have ren-
bunch of grapes, whience they were sometimes called dered efficient service to the confederates, for which
BbTpus (Eustath. al llom. p. 1155). According he was rewarded after the battle of Ipsus (B. C.
to another story, the Pleindes were virgin com- 301) by obtaining the province of Cilicia, as an
panions of Artemis, and, together with their mother independent government. This, however, he did
Pleione, were pursued by the hunter Orion in not long retain, being expelled from it in the fol-
Boeotia ; their prayer to be rescued from him was lowing year, by Demetrius, almost without oppo
heard by the gods, and they were metamorphosed sition. (Plut. Demetr. 31. ) Hereupon he returned
into doves (nedevades), and placed among the stars to his brother Cassander, and from this time we
(Hygin. Poet. Astr. ii. 21; Schol. ud Apollon. hear no more of him. Pausanias mentions him
Rhod. iii. 226; Pind. Nem. ii. 17). The rising as having been defeated by the Athenians in an
of the Pleiades in Italy was about the beginning of action in which he commanded the cavalry and
May, and their setting about the beginning of No- auxiliaries of Cassander ; but the period at which
vember. Their names are Electra, Maia, Taygete, this event took place is uncertain. (Paus. i. 15.
Alcyone, Celaeno, Sterope, and Merope (Tzetz. ad $ 1. ) It is perhaps to him that the medical
Lyc: 219, comp. 149 ; Apollod. iii. 10. $ 1). The writer, Diocles of Carystus, addressed his work,
scholiast of Theocritus (xiii. 25) gives the follow- which is cited more than once by Athenaeus, as
ing different set of names: Coccymo, Plaucia, Protis, id tpos II Aelotapxov 'Tyreivá. (Athen. vii. p. 320,
Parthemia, Maia, Stonychia, Lampatho. (Comp. d, 324, f. )
[E. H. B. ]
Hom. I. xviii. 486, Od. v. 272 ; Ov. Fust. iv. 169, PLEI'STHENES (FIXelodévns), a son of Atreus,
&c. ; Hyades ; and Ideler, Untersuch, über die and husband of Aerope or Eriphyle, the daughter
Sternennamen, p. 144. )
(L. S. ] of Catreus, by whom he became the father of Aga-
PLEI'ONE (II^nióvn), a daughter of Oceanus, memnon, Menelaus, and Anaxibia (Apollod. ii. 2.
and mother of the Pleiades by Atlas. (Apollod. iii. $ 2 ; Schol. ad Eurip. Or. 5 ; Aeschyl. Agam.
10. § 1; Pind. Fragm. 53 ; comp. Atlas ; PLEI 1569 ; comp. AGAMEMNON ; ATREUS). A son
ADES. )
(L. S. ] of Thyestes, who was killed by Atreus, was like
PLEISTAE'NETUS (NIAelotalvetos), an wise called Pleisthenes. (Hygin. Fab. 88. ) (L. S. )
Athenian painter, the brother of Pheidias, is men- PLEISTO'ΑΝΑΧ (πλειστοάναξ, Πλειστώ
tioned by Plutarch (De Glor. Athen. ii. p. 346) vaß), the nineteenth king of Sparta in the line of
among the most celebrated painters, such as Apol- the Agidae, was the eldest son of the Pausanias
lodorus, Euphranor, Nicias, and Asclepiodorus, who who conquered at Plataea in B. c. 479. On the
painted victories, battles, and heroes ; but there is death of Pleistarchus, in B. C. 458, without issue,
no other mention of him.
[P. S. ] Pleistoanax succeeded to the throne, being yet a
PLEISTARCHUS (Ilelotapxos). ].
