The Plautus, Titus Maccius 255 BCE-185 BCE creator Riley, Henry T. (Henry Thomas) 1816-1878 text utu 2005 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "The Captivi and the Mostellaria" by Titus Maccius Plautus is a collection of two Roman plays that exemplifies the comedic aspects of ancient theater, likely written during the late 3rd century BC. The plays deal with themes such as mistaken identities, parental relationships, and the plight of captives, all while delivering humor through sharp dialogue and situational comedy. Key characters emerge: Hegio, the father desperate to rescue his son from captivity, and the captives, Philocrates and Tyndarus, who find themselves in a web of deception and exchange. The opening of the first play, "The Captivi," introduces the entangled narrative surrounding Hegio and his sons—one lost to slavery and the other a captive. The prologue establishes the backstory, where Philocrates and Tyndarus plot to swap identities in an attempt to manipulate their respective situations. As they navigate the complex roles of slaves and masters, the humor shines through in their schemes and the misunderstandings that arise. The interactions reveal a mix of desperation and cleverness among characters, setting the stage for further comedic exploits and illustrating the folly inherent in human endeavors. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2005-01-01 Text file produced by David Starner, Blain Nelson, Ted Garvin and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team HTML file produced by David Widger Original publication data not identified Latin drama (Comedy) Plautus, Titus Maccius -- Translations into English PA Original publication data not identified https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7282 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7282 UtSlPG 260607 20260610133205.0 7282