Plautus adapted for the amusement of Roman audiences the Greek New Comedy of the fourth century. His wit is clever and satirical and his entertaining portrayal of slaves firmly set the style for the 'low' characters of Elizabethan comedy, moliere, and many others. In this translation E.F. Watling presents, in a form suitable for the modern stage, The Ghost (Mostellaria), The Rope (Rudens), possibly the best of the plays, A Three-Dollar Day (Trinummus) and Amphitryo, a cheerful account of how Jupiter begot Hercules.
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