SOME FURTHER NOTES ON FAMILY RELATIONS AS TREATED IN MIDDLE AND NEW COMEDY.
Though it has nothing to do with our immediate subject, it may be interesting to notice briefly the attitude of the New Comedy towards that description of family problems which the Canace of Euripides and similar works had made popular among certain classes of art-lovers. That such works had ever any great hold over the public at large is neither proved nor probable.
In the first place, we may notice the unpleasant accident by which, in the Curculio, the soldier is made unconsciously to buy his sister as his mistress. Here, however (Plaut. Curc. v. 2, 55 seqq.), as soon as the recognition takes place, Planesium is at once given in marriage by her brother to her lover—as soon, that is to say, as her consent has been obtained to this course (ibid. 73). In the Middle Comedy Epidicus, where a similar incident occurs, the behaviour of Stratippocles is somewhat less correct (Plaut. Epid. v. 1, 42 seqq.), though here, too, the side of propriety is at once championed by the slave, and prevails without any real delay. That incidents of this kind were not uncommon in New Comedy seems probable from the nature of that class of drama, but there is no reason to suppose that they ever had any other conclusion than that which occurs in the cases quoted above. Cases of rivalry between father and son, such as occur in the Casina and the Mercator, belong to a class of drama which has nothing to do with romantic New Comedy. The dénouements of the Asinaria and the Bacchides, which are so little sympathetic to modern ideas, are both to some extent apologised for by their authors,[371] and also, as will be observed, occur in plays which have Hetaerae for their heroines.
A certain lack of regard for decency on the part of the father in the son’s presence, and vice versâ, (which is rather startling to the modern reader in such passages as Plaut. Asin. v. 2, 30 seqq., Ter. Heaut. Timor. iii. 3, 1, and elsewhere,) is probably most simply explained by autres temps autres moeurs. Altogether, it would seem that the privacy which is to modern ideas somewhat of an essential in these matters, was at a considerable discount at this period of society. Cp. Plaut. Bacch. iii. 3, 73 seqq., Curc. i. 3, 16 seqq., etc.
Lastly, attention may be called to Hanno’s rather remarkable method of searching for his lost daughters. (Plaut. Poen. prolog. 106 seqq.). Whether this is intended for a realistic study of Semitic habits, can be left to others to decide.
FOOTNOTES
[1] The expression is, of course, an awkward one, for the word “romance,” like “chivalry,” embodies the old superstition that such feelings were a product of the Christian Middle Ages; but this and similar expressions are so generally used in this connection, that there is little real risk of misunderstanding, and I cannot think of anything better.
[2] Among the many arguments in favour of the social emancipation of women at the present day, I have never heard it suggested that such an emancipation would inevitably lead to an increase of chivalrous feelings on the part of men; the general view seems to be that it would have just the contrary effect.
[3] Very noticeable is the preponderance of goddesses in the Greek Pantheon. The powers of nature, whether of sea, mountain, river, or forest, were almost invariably incarnated in the form of women.