Pseudolus

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. Callidorus, the young son of the Athenian nobleman, Simo, laments to his slave Pseudolus, a clever fellow, about how his love, Phoenicium, has ju... more

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. Callidorus, the young son of the Athenian nobleman, Simo, laments to his slave Pseudolus, a clever fellow, about how his love, Phoenicium, has just been sold to the Macedonian general Polymachaeroplagides by her pimp, Ballio, for twenty silver coins, five of which are to be delivered that day by messenger. Pseudolus promises his young master that he will solve his problem. An interaction between Ballio and Pseudolus and Callidorus heightens Ballio's awareness regarding trickery on the part of Pseudolus. Afterwards, Pseudolus then asks Callidorus 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... less