Epidicus
Epidicus is an ancient Roman comedy written by Plautus in the 3rd or 2nd century BC. It is said to have been one of Plautus's favorite works. Epidicus is the name of the main character, who is a slave. The plot takes many turns as Epidicus tries to please his master's son, Stratippocles.
The main plot was based upon a Greek play. However, the storyline was changed in order to prevent a brother from marrying his half-sister. The Romans considered this incest, which deeply disturbed them; the Greeks, however, were not bothered by this.
The pronunciation of "Epidicus" is with four short vowels.
Characters
- Epidicus – slave to Periphanes.
- Thesprio – another slave, armour bearer of Stratippocles.
- Stratippocles – a young Athenian, son of Periphanes; he is summoned to war in Thebes between the Athenians and Thebans. Has his slave, Epidicus, purchase a slave girl, Acropolistis, after he leaves for war. Once in Thebes, however, he falls in love with another girl, Telestis, whom he purchases on borrowed money.
- Chaeribulus – agemate and friend of Stratippocles
- Periphanes – a widowed Athenian gentleman who has an unmarried son, Stratippocles. He had a relationship with a Theban woman, Philippa and had an illegitimate daughter, Telestis, who lives with her mother in Thebes.
- Apoecides – a neighbour and friend of Periphanes
- Soldier – a wealthy young soldier who is in love with Acropolistis and wishes to purchase her
- Philippa – a woman formerly seduced by Periphanes. A woman of Thebes who has an illegitimate daughter, Telestis.
- Acropolistis – a music girl; the first girl that Stratippocles falls in love with; plays as if she is Periphanes' daughter
- Music girl – another music girl, who is hired temporarily by Epidicus to help with his trick.
- Money-lender – lends Stratippocles the money to purchase Telestis
- Telestis – illegitimate daughter of Periphanes and Philippa who is captured in the war.
Plot
The play starts when Stratippocles returns from the war, having lost his shield, and bringing a captive girl he has fallen in love with. Stratippocles has borrowed forty minae from a money-lender to purchase this new girl. When Epidicus tells him that while he was away he has carried out his wishes and purchased the girl as instructed, Stratippocles callously informs him he has wasted his time since he is now in love with someone else. Since his friend Chaeribulus refuses to help him, Stratippocles orders Epidicus to find the money that same day, threatening to severely punish him if he does not succeed. Meanwhile, preferring not to meet his father, he stays in Chaeribulus's house.
In order to convince Periphanes to give him more money, Epidicus tells him that Stratippocles is about to purchase a music-girl in order to marry her. Epidicus urges Periphanes to purchase the girl before Stratippocles can, so that the marriage can be avoided; he adds that he can then sell the girl to a certain soldier who loves her and make a profit. Periphanes agrees to give his slave the money. Once the money is received, Epidicus gives it to Stratippocles. Epidicus then hires a different music-girl to act as if she were Stratippocles' girlfriend and brings her to Periphanes' house.
The soldier who is enamored with Acropolistis comes to Periphanes' home in hopes of convincing Periphanes to allow him to purchase her. However, when the hired music girl is brought out, he realizes that the she is not Acropolistis, and he refuses to buy her. Shortly afterwards, Philippa, Telestis's mother, shows up at Periphanes' home looking for her daughter, since she heard she was brought to Athens as a captive. Periphanes assures Philippa that their daughter, Telestis, is safe inside. When the girl he thinks is Telestis is presented to Philippa, she instantly knows it is not her daughter. Epidicus is about to be severely punished because of his double deceit.
At this moment, however, the captive that Stratippocles purchased while away is brought to him by the money lender. While Stratippocles goes inside to fetch the money, Epidicus recognizes her to be Periphanes' daughter, Telestis. Overwhelmed and confused, Periphanes finally meets his daughter for the first time. Stratippocles, upset about the "loss" of his love due to her being his half-sister, is comforted by Acropolistis, the original slave girl whom Epidicus purchased. Epidicus is quickly forgiven for his trickery, and is freed from slavery for his help in reuniting a father and daughter.
Metrical structure
Plautus's plays are traditionally divided into five acts; these are referred to below for convenience, since many editions make use of them. However, it is not thought that they go back to Plautus's time, since no manuscript contains them before the 15th century. Also, the acts themselves do not always match the structure of the plays, which is often more clearly shown by the variation in metres.From a metrical point of view, Plautus's plays are generally made up of iambic senarii, songs in various metres, and trochaic septenarii, usually in that order. Epidicus is slightly different, however, since the first three sections have no iambic senarii, but begin directly with music:
The fourth section, instead of the usual trochaic septenarii, ends with 41 lines of iambic septenarii, a metre sometimes called the "laughing metre", appropriate for moments of gleeful emotion. Another unusual feature is the 7 lines of the lyrical wilamowitzianus metre, used where Philippa and Periphanes see each other for the first time in many years.
Epidicus hears troubling news
- Act 1.1 : mixed metres
- '''Act 1.1 : trochaic septenarii '''
Epidicus is ordered to find some money
- Act 1.1 : cretics mixed with trochaic septenarii
- '''Act 1.1 : trochaic septenarii + ia8 '''
Epidicus tricks Periphanes
- Act 1.2 –2.2 : mostly cretic
- Act 1.2 –2.2 : mostly iambic
- '''Act 2.2 : trochaic septenarii '''
Epidicus gives the money to Stratippocles
- Act 2.3 : iambic senarii
- Act 3.1–3.2 : mixed metres
- '''Act 3.1–3.2 : iambic septenarii '''
Epidicus escapes punishment
- Act 3.3–3.4 : iambic senarii
- Act 4.1 : mixed metres
- '''Act 4.1 –5.2 : trochaic septenarii '''