– “The
Epidicus, a play I love as much as myself”: In Plautus’ Comedy
Bacchidesthe slave Chrysalus makes this metatheatrical statement (
Bacch.214). The often discussed verse makes clear that Plautus must have appreciated his comedy
Epidicusvery much. Like
Pseudolus, Truculentusand many other plays, it is named after its main character, the slave Epidicus, who dominates the action: The whole play is a demonstration of his enormous cleverness and his various improvised trickeries.
In spite of the author’s presumed fondness, the comedy – which, with only 733 verses, is one of his shortest plays – was not very highly esteemed by scholars. One reason for that might be the very intricate plot: Compared to other Plautine plays, the
1292 words
Citation: Auhagen, Ulrike. "Epidicus". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 16 April 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=34721, accessed 06 October 2024.]