Pseudolus
Encyclopedia
Pseudolus is a play by the ancient Roman playwright
Titus Maccius Plautus
. It is one of the earliest examples of Roman literature. The play begins with the shortest prologue of any of the known plays of Plautus, though it is not known whether Plautus wrote this prologue himself or if it was added later.
An interaction between Ballio, Pseudolus, and Calidorus makes Ballio suspicious of Pseudolus' machinations. Afterwards, Pseudolus asks Calidorus to produce a loyal friend who would be able to help in his plan.
Pseudolus then runs into Simo and one of Simo's friends. Simo has heard that his son has fallen for a prostitute and is trying to raise the money to buy her freedom. Simo bets Pseudolus 20 drachmae that Calidorus will not successfully save Phoenicium from servitude to the tune of 20 drachmae.
Meanwhile, Ballio is running around town making birthday preparations (today is his birthday), and he is talking to a cook whom he has just hired. While Ballio is away from home, Pseudolus intercepts the messenger, Harpax, who was sent to deliver the last 5 drachmae and retrieve Phoenicium.
Pseudolus claims to be Ballio's slave, Syrus, and tries to receive the money on his behalf, but Harpax refuses, having been ordered to deliver the money to Ballio alone. Nevertheless, Pseudolus successfully deflects the messenger to a nearby inn where he is instructed to await word from Ballio.
Later, Calidorus produces Charinus, a loyal and wealthy friend, who loans Pseudolus the 5 drachmae that he needs. Charinus further reveals that there is a new foreigner slave in Athens that very few people in Athens know about, and he is reportedly incredibly intelligent.
Pseudolus then finds the slave and instructs him to impersonate Harpax and meet with Ballio. After this meeting, Ballio runs into Simo and they talk about how Calidorus must be crushed and that Phoenicium is on her way to the Macedonian General. Ballio then meets the real Harpax, whom he takes to be one of Pseudolus' friends, and tells him to scram.
In the end, Calidorus gets the girl, Ballio has to repay the real Harpax, and Pseudolus wins the bet with Simo. Simo and Pseudolus go out drinking together in the end.
- The basic plot, as well as the character Pseudolus
Theatre of ancient Rome
The theatre of ancient Rome was a thriving and diverse art form, ranging from festival performances of street theatre, nude dancing, and acrobatics, to the staging of Plautus's broadly appealing situation comedies, to the high-style, verbally elaborate tragedies of Seneca...
Titus Maccius Plautus
Plautus
Titus Maccius Plautus , commonly known as "Plautus", was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the genre devised by the innovator of Latin literature, Livius Andronicus...
. It is one of the earliest examples of Roman literature. The play begins with the shortest prologue of any of the known plays of Plautus, though it is not known whether Plautus wrote this prologue himself or if it was added later.
Plot synopsis
Calidorus, the young son of the Athenian nobleman Simo, laments to his clever slave Pseudolus about how his love, Phoenicium, has just been sold as a slave. The Macedonian general Polymachaeroplagides has bought her from her pimp, Ballio, for 20 drachmae, and 5 of them are to be delivered that day by messenger. Pseudolus promises his young master Calidorus that he will solve his problem.An interaction between Ballio, Pseudolus, and Calidorus makes Ballio suspicious of Pseudolus' machinations. Afterwards, Pseudolus asks Calidorus to produce a loyal friend who would be able to help in his plan.
Pseudolus then runs into Simo and one of Simo's friends. Simo has heard that his son has fallen for a prostitute and is trying to raise the money to buy her freedom. Simo bets Pseudolus 20 drachmae that Calidorus will not successfully save Phoenicium from servitude to the tune of 20 drachmae.
Meanwhile, Ballio is running around town making birthday preparations (today is his birthday), and he is talking to a cook whom he has just hired. While Ballio is away from home, Pseudolus intercepts the messenger, Harpax, who was sent to deliver the last 5 drachmae and retrieve Phoenicium.
Pseudolus claims to be Ballio's slave, Syrus, and tries to receive the money on his behalf, but Harpax refuses, having been ordered to deliver the money to Ballio alone. Nevertheless, Pseudolus successfully deflects the messenger to a nearby inn where he is instructed to await word from Ballio.
Later, Calidorus produces Charinus, a loyal and wealthy friend, who loans Pseudolus the 5 drachmae that he needs. Charinus further reveals that there is a new foreigner slave in Athens that very few people in Athens know about, and he is reportedly incredibly intelligent.
Pseudolus then finds the slave and instructs him to impersonate Harpax and meet with Ballio. After this meeting, Ballio runs into Simo and they talk about how Calidorus must be crushed and that Phoenicium is on her way to the Macedonian General. Ballio then meets the real Harpax, whom he takes to be one of Pseudolus' friends, and tells him to scram.
In the end, Calidorus gets the girl, Ballio has to repay the real Harpax, and Pseudolus wins the bet with Simo. Simo and Pseudolus go out drinking together in the end.
Themes
- The clever slave - Pseudolus is an example of the stock characterStock characterA Stock character is a fictional character based on a common literary or social stereotype. Stock characters rely heavily on cultural types or names for their personality, manner of speech, and other characteristics. In their most general form, stock characters are related to literary archetypes,...
of the clever slave, common in Plautus' works.
Adaptations
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart....
- The basic plot, as well as the character Pseudolus