For Tuesday, September 23, please read Plautus' The Swaggering Soldier (Miles Gloriosus), pp. 147-212 in the "Pot of Gold and other Plays" book. Cite a line from this play that shows something about Roman society or Roman history one might not learn from a more conventional historical source, e.g., something about day-to-day life in Rome, something about Roman values, or something about the Roman sense of humor.
Thursday, September 18, 2025
The Swaggering Soldier (Miles Gloriosus)
For Tuesday, September 23, please read Plautus' The Swaggering Soldier (Miles Gloriosus), pp. 147-212 in the "Pot of Gold and other Plays" book. Cite a line from this play that shows something about Roman society or Roman history one might not learn from a more conventional historical source, e.g., something about day-to-day life in Rome, something about Roman values, or something about the Roman sense of humor.
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I found a passage that speaks about the issue of false allegation and how they are handled. On page 167 Palaestrio speaks with the slave Sceledrus. He states "You're just in the right position to be spread-eagled on a cross outside the gate-" "the faithful slave who has been laying a monstrous false charge agains an innocent girl?" This simple line shows two aspects of Roman life. One: Those (especially slaves) found guilty of making false claims or reports are sentenced to death. Two: One method of the death penalty is Crucifixion on the cross. This reflects the Roman Values of Virtus and upholding a truthful lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteSomething that caught my eye was on page 165, when Sceledrus says, "Why do you eat so much darnel? Wheat's cheap enough." and, a line later, says, "Darnel; it's bad for the eyes; you're not seeing clearly."
ReplyDeleteI was curious on what darnel was, as I don't believe it's very popular anymore. From what I have learned, darnel is a a Eurasian ryegrass that is poisonous to both humans and animals. It explains why Sceledrus brings it up, as people have no doubt consumed this before and has had negative effects due to its consumption.
Again, since this isn't a modern issue per-se, it caught my attention, especially when he added that wheat was cheap enough. It also means that consuming darnel may have been a phrase used to indicate someone lying (spreading poison).
A phrase I found was on page 178, and Periplectomenus says "You won't find me making a pass at someone else girl at a party, or snatching plates of food, or grabbing the cup out of turn, or starting a drunken quarrel among the company. If anyone annoys me, I simply go home, have no more to do with him."
ReplyDeleteI chose this section from Periplectomenus because this shows what Roman virtues were to the everyday Roman citizen. It helps us understand what values they have internalized and how they act on them everyday. These little things are often over crowded by other factors of Rome, but very important to understanding how they become such a world power.
One passage that sparked my interest is on page 180. Palaestrio says, "A good life, when all is said and done, is worth a family of twins and triplets." Periplectomenus replies, "Oh my goodness, yes; children, if I had any, would have brought me a peck of trouble. I should never have had a moment's peace." This passage comes from a conversation between these two and Pleusicles, and they are specifically talking about family life. I found this passage (and the whole conversation) rather interesting because it shows you how a Roman, especially a powerful and wealthy Roman man like Periplectomenus, really doesn't care TOO much to have a family of his own, and he goes on to say that it's because he would be worrying about them too much. I can't be sure, but maybe some other Roman people may have had the same sort of principle when it comes to this topic, which is an interesting small detail in the lives and morals of Roman people. Yet, at the same time, the Romans obviously still took their responsibilities very seriously (gravitas), which often times included their families.
ReplyDelete^ Kyle
DeleteI've noticed how often in this story Pyrgopolynices is compared to or compares himself to gods. It seems to be part of Roman culture to credit the gods for different traits a person has or credit them for the things that happen to a person. I know from history that many Roman leaders claimed to be descended from gods. The very origin story of Rome begins with Mars fathering Romulus and Remus. I didn't know that this was a popular claim for non-rulers to make, but on page 204 Pyrgopolynices says, "Perhaps I have never told you, I am a grandson of Venus." He uses this to make himself seem more important and also as an explanation for why he is so popular with the ladies. In this case, I suspect if we heard Venus' side of the story, he would emphatically claim no relation!
ReplyDelete-Emily Ekanger
The quote that I found is on the Roman Values and their Worship when Palaestrio is trying to see if Lurcio drank his wine. The quote is this " So help me gods, I didn't drink it, it was that hot, it burned my gullet. I had to toss it down in one gulp." Page Number 184. I thought it was interesting because he fought so hard to tell him and to get him to believe him that he didn't drink his wine. I think that shows how their values, honesty, and courage to just being loyal was important to them. Another thing that stood out in this quote was the fact that he said so help me gods saying he believes in them and how that's very important to them as well i think is interesting that he put that in there. In the quote however he says that it was hot so he had to get it in one gulp made no sense because he said he didn't drink and when i read some more into it, it still didn't really clarify it so that was a little confusing bit still very interesting with their values and their worship.
ReplyDelete-Drew Henriksen
"So is what you spend your duties to the gods- all gain", page 179, Periplbctomenus then follows this quote, saying that it is the gods that have given him good in his life stating, "Thanks to the gods, I have the means to give you generous hospitality". I chose this quote because the romans reference their gods and make comparisons of them quite a bit. Often, they are giving different praises to them and comparing themselves or others to different gods to highlight their aspects or qualities.
ReplyDeleteIn The Swaggering Soldier, Philocomasium says “Light the fire on the altar, please; I must render my joyful and grateful thanks to Diana of Ephesus, and pay her homage with fragrant Arabian incense for having preserved me alive when I was hard pressed by the angry waves of Neptune’s storm-tossed realm and dominion.” This line shows how natural and ordinary it was for Romans to invoke and thank the gods, not just in grand ceremonies but in everyday moments like surviving travel. Yes, you may see this idea in textbooks but this puts it personally and practically. It reflects that belief in the gods was taken seriously and woven into normal life, where divine help and gratitude were expected parts of common experience.
ReplyDeleteI was reading the lines of Periplectomenus on page 160; and beforehand I had read the whole of The Prisoners. And it occurred to me that the dialogue and the joking sounded pretty much unchanged from whats said today. "Hah! Now that's better...that's a fine attitude... just what a slave in a comedy ought to look like." The 4th wall breaking, the endless dialogue filled with semi-comedic bits; it all just sounds fairly similar to what comedians do today.
ReplyDeleteOn page 184, there is a dialogue with Lurcio and Palaestrio about whether or not Lurcio drank any wine. Sceledrus has already fallen asleep from drinking and Lurcio tells Palaestrio that he fell asleep because he "closed his eyes" Lurcio continues to give funny answers and Palaestrio questions him about drinking the wine. Lurcio continues to deny drinking wine and claims he is denying it because Sceledrus told him to deny it. This not only shows the sense of humor romans had, but also shows how loyal roman people were to those they respected or were owned by/paid by.
ReplyDeletethis is my post, I forgot to change it from anonymous
DeleteOne passage that stood out to me is on page 180, when Palaestrio says, “A good life, when all is said and done, is worth a family of twins and triplets,” and Periplectomenus replies that children would only bring him endless trouble. This exchange is interesting because it shows a wealthy Roman man openly saying he doesn’t care much about having a family, since it would mean constant worry. It suggests that not all Romans prioritized family in the same way, even though Roman culture valued gravitas and responsibility, which usually included caring for one’s household. This gives us a glimpse into personal attitudes we might not see in formal history.
ReplyDelete