Bacchides (play)
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Bacchides is a Latin play by the early Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus. The title has been translated as The Bacchises, and the plot revolves around the misunderstandings surrounding two sisters, each called Bacchis, who work in a local house of ill-repute.
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[edit] Plot summary
Two young friends, Mnesilochus and Pistoclerus, have fallen in love with two sisters, each called Bacchis, who work in a local whore house. Mnesilochus' Bacchis has been hired for one year by a wealthy soldier called Cleomachus, and Mnesilochus needs money to buy her release. The only soruce of money is his ageing father, Nicobulus; and the tricky slave , Chrysalus. Chrysalus when told about the extortion plan whines about how Nicobulus does not believe him and how he will not succeed. In the end Chysalus accepts and then succeeds in extorting the money from Nicobulus. However, when Pistoclerus announces his love for Bacchis, Mnesilochus is enraged. Unaware that there are two Bacchises, he assumes that his friend is in love with his Bacchis, and hands the money back to his father, revealing the whole deception. Then the truth emerges - there are two Bacchises and Pistoclerus is in love with the other one. In despair, Mnesilochus turns once more to Chrysalus and begs him to have another go at tricking Nicobulus. [1]
[edit] Characters in Bacchides
- Bacchis - a prostitute
- Pistoclerus - Young man
- Lydus - Tutor of Pistoclerus
- Chrysalus - Slave of Nicobulus
- Nicobulus - Old man and father of Mnesilochus
- Mnesilochus - Young man
- Philoxenus - Old man and father of Pistoclerus
- Cleomachus - A soldier
[edit] Key themes
The play includes Plautus’ frequent theme of clever servants outwitting their supposed superiors, with Chrysalus deceiving Nicobulus on more than one occasion.
[edit] Etymology
Several of the characters names are significant. Nicobulus ironically means Victorious in counsel, Chrysalus means Goldie, Cleomachus means Glorious fighter, and Bacchis means Bacchant, a female worshipper of Bacchus, god of wine. [1]
[edit] Reference
- ^ a b Jones, P.V., and Sidwell, K.C. 1986. Reading Latin. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-28623-9 (paperback)
