The Stichus of Plautus: An introduction and elementary commentary

Abstract

This dissertation is composed of two parts. The Introduction comprises sections on Comedy in general, on Plautus's life, on the metres and the manuscripts of his plays. With the exception of the section on the structure of the Stichus, it is a restatement of the situation as generally accepted by scholars today. The question of the structure of the Stichus is still a matter of contention, and the leading views on this subject have been discussed critically in this section.The Commentary is intended for the level of an undergraduate reader and comprises notes on grammar, syntax and general interpretation. The more detailed points concerning the metre are also discussed in the notes. The text used is W.M. Lindsay's edition (Oxford Classical Text), though in a few instances (notably at lines 63, 121, 365 , 529, 617) readings and emendations other than those which appear in the Oxford Classical Text have seemed preferable.