CHAPTER IV.
[1] See Livy, vii. 2.
[2] The most celebrated was that erected by Scaurus in his aedileship 58 B.C., an almost incredible description of which is given by Pliny, N.H. xxxvi. 12. See Dict. Ant. Theatrum, whence this is taken.
[3] A temporary stone theatre was probably erected for the Apollinarian Games, 179 B.C. If so, it was soon pulled down; a remarkable instance of the determination of the Senate not to encourage dramatic performances.
[4] Done by Curio, 50 B.C.
[5] Primus subselliorum ordo.
[6] Otho's Law, 68 B.C.
[7] See Mommsen, Bk. iii. ch. xv.
[8] See prol. to Andria.
[9] Quint. x. 1, Comoedia maxime claudicamus.
[10] Hor. Ep. ii. 1, 170.
"At vestri proavi Plautinos et numeros et
Laudavere sales: nimium patienter utrumque
Ne dicam stulte mirati."
[11] De Off. i. 29, 104.
[12] iii. 3, 14.
[13] This process is called contamination. It was necessitated by the fondness of a Roman audience for plenty of action, and their indifference to mere dialogue.
[14] Cic. de Sen. 50.
[15] ii. 2, 35.
[16] Poen. v. 1.
[17] Plautus himself calls it Tragico-comoedia.
[18] We find in Donatus the term crepidata, which seems equivalent to palliata, though it probably was extended to tragedy, which palliata apparently was not. Trabeata, a term mentioned by Suet. in his Treatise de Grammat., seems = praetextata, at all events it refers to a play with national characters of an exalted rank.
[19] E.g. trahax, perenniservus, contortiplicati, parcipromus, prognariter, and a hundred others. In Pseud. i. 5; ii. 4, 22, we have charin touto poio, nal nam, kai touto dae, and other Greek modes of transition. Cf. Pers. ii. 1, 79.
[20] One needs but to mention forms like danunt, ministreis, hibus, sacres, postidea dehibere, &c. and constructions like quicquam uti, istanc tactio, quid tute tecum? Nihil enim, and countless others, to understand the primary importance of Plautus's works for a historical study of the development of the Latin language.
[21] De Opt. Gen. Or. 1; cf. Att. vii. 3, 10.
[22] "in eis quas primum Caecili didici novas
Partim sum earum exactus, partim vix steti.
* * * * *
Perfeci ut spectarentur: ubi sunt cognitae
Placitae sunt"
—Prol. 2, 14.
[23] 2 Hor. Ep, li. 1, 59. Vincere Caecilius gravitate.
[24] Adelph. prol.:
"Nam quod isti dicunt malevoli, homines nobiles
Hunc adiutare, assidueque una scribere;
Quod illi maledictmn vehemens existimant,
Eam laudem hic ducit maximam: cum illis placet,
Qui vobis universis et populo placent:
Quorum opera in bello, in otio, in negotio
Suo quisque tempore usus est sine superbia."
[25] See prol. to Andria.
[26] Suet. Vit. Ter.
[27] Tu quoque tu in summis, o dimidiate Menander, poneris, &c.—Ib.
[28] Possibly the following may be exceptions:—Andr. 218; Haut. 218, 356; Hec. 543. See Teuffel.
[29] See the first scene of the Adelphoe.
[30] Metriotaes, the quality so much admired by the Greek critics, in which Horace may be compared with Terence. Cf. Aul. Gell. vi. (or vii.) 14, 6.
[31] 1. 37, sqq.
[32] Suet. Vit. Ter.
[33] Sat. 1, 4, 53, referring to the scene in the Adelphoe.
[34] Except in the prologues to the Eun. and Hecyra.
[35] 805, "ut quimus" aiunt, "quando ut volumus non licet." The line of Caecilius is "Vivas ut possis quando non quis ut velis."
[36] Georg. iii. 9.
"Tentanda via est qua me quoque possim
Toll ere humo victorque virum volitare per ora."
He expresses his aspiration after immortality in the same terms that
Ennius had employed.
[37] Eun. v. iv.
[38] Or "Lanuvinus." Those who wish to know the inartistic expedients to which he resorted to gain applause should read the prologues of Terence, which are most valuable materials for literary criticism.
[39] Att. xiv. 20, 3.
[40] Teuffel 103.
[41] Sometimes called Tabernaria, Diomed iii. p. 488, though, strictly speaking, this denoted a lower and more provincial type.
[42] x. 1, 100.