Skip to content
Asinaria

Cover via Open Library · Open Library

EntityQ669022· pop 11· linked from 31 articles

Also known as Pl. As.

Asinaria ("The Comedy of Asses") is a comic play written in Latin by the Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus. In the play an Athenian gentleman, Demaenetus, tells his slave Libanus that he knows his son Argyrippus is having an affair with the prostitute Philaenium next door, and he asks him to try to find some money to pay for the affair. When by chance a stranger comes bringing money owed for some donkeys sold by Saurea, the steward of Demaenetus's wife, Libanus's fellow-slave Leonida pretends to be Saurea, and the two slaves trick the stranger into giving them the money. Argyrippus is giv

Book · Open Library

Author
Titus Maccius Plautus
First published
1894
Editions
7
Subjects
Plautus, titus maccius

via Open Library

Key facts

Play.name
Asinaria
Play.writer
Plautus
Play.setting
Athens, near Demaenetus's home

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Show 2 more facts
title
Asinaria
entry in abbreviations table
Pl. As.
Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~12 min read

Article

10 sections
Contents
  • Metrical scheme
  • Looking for money
  • The trick works
  • Demaenetus is caught out
  • Analysis
  • Characters
  • Themes
  • Translations
  • References
  • External links

Asinaria ("The Comedy of Asses") is a comic play written in Latin by the Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus. In the play an Athenian gentleman, Demaenetus, tells his slave Libanus that he knows his son Argyrippus is having an affair with the prostitute Philaenium next door, and he asks him to try to find some money to pay for the affair. When by chance a stranger comes bringing money owed for some donkeys sold by Saurea, the steward of Demaenetus's wife, Libanus's fellow-slave Leonida pretends to be Saurea, and the two slaves trick the stranger into giving them the money. Argyrippus is given the money on condition that his father is to be allowed to enjoy the first night with the prostitute. But a jealous rival, Diabolus, snitches on Demaenetus to his wife Artemona, who storms to the brothel and prevents her husband from enjoying the girl as well.

The title is short for "the play about donkeys". Similar titles ending in the suffix -aria are found the plays and .

Connections

Categories