Introduction
The surviving myths, poems, plays, and stories of the Age of Antiquity allow people to learn about not only the events and religions of the past but also the cultures, lifestyles, and morals of societies bygone. The works of Titus Maccius Plautus are of such kind. The Prisoners, or Captivi, is one of his most famous plays, which contrasts significantly with the rest of his work as it avoids love and sexual themes and tells about highly moral themes (Plautus, 2004).
It is worth noting that Lessing, a German thinker and writer of the eighteenth century, called The Prisoners an ideal comedy, even despite its apparent shortcomings with timing and pacing (Plautus, 2004). The Prisoner sheds light on ancient Greece and the Roman Republic’s social structures and the relationship between slave owners and slaves. In this analytical paper, The Prisoners will be discussed in terms of its cultural and historical context.
Aetolia, Elis, Macedon, and the Roman Invasion of Greece
At the beginning of the play, readers observe what goes on after the wars between the ancient Greek city-states. Full city-state citizens or “gentlemen of property” begin to trade people who have become slaves due to being captured during the military conflict (Plautus, 2004, p. 77). Alternatively, they exchange them for their relatives caught by the enemy side, as in the case of Hegio (Plautus, 2004). Questions arise as to why Plautus chose Aetolia as the setting and why he mentioned Elis; these two regions are in Greece, not in the Italian Peninsula. The answer is that when Plautus lived, the Roman Republic began a full-scale invasion of Greece and started two major wars with Macedon, which was the regional leader back then (Eckstein, 2017). Moreover, the Aetolian League was an ally of Rome in the first conflict. These events and the fact that the Romans and Greeks were culturally close could be the reason why the author chose Aetolia as the setting for the play.
Social Structure and Slavery in Ancient Greece depicted in The Prisoners
Another exciting thing that readers may notice while reading The Prisoners is the structure of Ancient Greek society. There are two categories of people, masters like Hegio and the father of Philocrates and unfree ones like Guards and Tyndarus. It is also necessary to mention Ergasilus, who seems to be an employed servant. Plautus calls his social status a “parasite” (Plautus, 2004, p. 76). He also refers to himself as “The Harlot” and describes his social role in a derogatory tone but seems to enjoy it (Plautus, 2004, p. 80). One can see that the system of slavery in ancient Greece was significantly different from that would later appear in the European kingdoms and empires. The relationship between masters and slaves was based on local social hierarchy and personal relationships, not on racial or ethnic bias supported by primitive and deceptive scientific theories. The master was the one who was free, independent, and a citizen and the dependent slave was the one who was captured or defeated.
Despite the significant difference in both groups’ social status, this did not prevent them from communicating and interacting with each other. Readers can see that the relationship between Philocrates and Tyndarus is more than friendly; they are almost family-like. Philocrates, who is the master of the latter, even says, “I could almost call you my own father if I dared” (Plautus, 2004, p. 89). They are even allowed to communicate in private and walk freely outside the house under the guards’ supervision (Plautus, 2004). It can be said that only those slaves, like Stalagmus, who deceived and betrayed their masters are disrespected and punished in ancient Greek society. The Hellenes perceived slavery as a tradition, and slaves were seen as decent human beings and an integral part of their community. It strikingly differs from the views on slavery in the United States and the British Empire in the eighteenth century.
What the Prisoners Tell about Plautus
Plautus discusses many topics in The Prisoners, namely the relationship between fathers and sons, masters and slaves, the nature of slave loyalty, and the duality of human behavior. Moreover, one can see that the Roman author was deeply concerned about the fate of the slaves, which can be considered quite revolutionary for those times. He provided insight into what slaves felt and thought of. As he himself points, he made it “to improve the minds of decent men” (Plautus, 2004, p. 138). However, it is where a contradiction arises. At the start of the play, the narrator mocks those who could not afford a seat, probably plebeians, thereby making fun of their socioeconomic status (Plautus, 2004). A personal explanation for it is that perhaps Plautus believed that the social structure could not be changed from below but above. He probably wrote The Prisoners first and foremost as a comedy and only then as a social commentary.
Conclusion
This work explores the cultural elements and historical events in The Prisoners by Plautus. The play is a comedy, albeit it differs significantly in tone from other works. It is safe to say that Captivi was aimed to improve the moral qualities of the highest strata of society in the Roman Republic. Most of the play topics are related to slavery, family ties, and social stratification.
References
Eckstein, A. M. (2017). Rome, empire, and the Hellenistic state system. In T. Ñ. del Hoyo & F. L. Sánchez (Eds.), War, warlords, and interstate relations in the ancient Mediterranean (pp. 231-253). Brill.
Plautus. (2004). The Pot of Gold and Other Plays [Kindle edition]. Penguin Books UK.