THE POT OF GOLD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Titus Maccius Plautus (c. 254 – 184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest Latin literary works to have survived in their entirety. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the genre devised by the innovator of Latin literature, Livius Andronicus. The word Plautine  refers to both Plautus's own works and works similar to or influenced by his.
Not much is known about Titus Maccius Plautus' early life. It is believed that he was born in Sarsina, a small town in Emilia Romagna in northern Italy, in around 254 BC.According to Morris Marples, Plautus worked as a stage-carpenter or scene-shifter in his early years It is from this work, perhaps, that his love of the theater originated. His acting talent was eventually discovered; and he adopted the names "Maccius" (a clownish stock-character in popular farces) and "Plautus" (a term meaning either "flat-footed" or "flat-eared," like the ears of a hound).Tradition holds that he made enough money to go into the nautical business, but that the venture collapsed. He is then said to have worked as a manual laborer and to have studied Greek drama—particularly the New Comedy of Menander—in his leisure. His studies allowed him to produce his plays, which were released between c. 205 and 184 BC. Plautus attained such a popularity that his name alone became a hallmark of theatrical success.Plautus's comedies are mostly adapted from Greek models for a Roman audience, and are often based directly on the works of the Greek playwrights. He reworked the Greek texts to give them a flavour that would appeal to the local Roman audiences. They are the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature.

SUMMARY:

The Lar (guardian god of the household) tells the audience about Euclio, a poor, stingy man who lives alone except for an old housekeeper named Staphyla and Euclio’s daughter Phaedria, nicknamed Aula (“Pot”).  Euclio has no idea that Phaedria is pregnant and about to give birth.  He has just discovered a pot filled with gold and is frantic that someone may steal it from him.  The Lar assures us that the pot of gold will eventually enable Phaedria to marry Lyconides, the young man who loves her and has fathered her baby.

Click To Buy

 Euclio drives Staphyla out of the house, suspecting that she is after his pot of gold–when, in fact, no one except Euclio even knows that it exists.  He then leaves for the marketplace, where there is to be a free handout.
 Eunomia has come to visit her bachelor brother Megadorus, Euclio’s rich neighbor.  She advises him to get a wife.  Reluctant at first, he soon relents and decides to ask Euclio for his daughter’s hand in marriage, not knowing that she is pregnant.  As Eunomia departs, Euclio shows up and is persuaded to accept Megadorus’ proposal.  Megadorus volunteers to pay for two wedding feasts, one in his house and one in Euclio’s; he takes his slave Strobilus with him to the marketplace to help him hire cooks and buy food.  Euclio, after giving directions to Staphyla, leaves to go shopping himself.
 Strobilus leads back from the market four silly cooks.  After lamenting their bad reputation as crooks , the cooks enter Euclio’s and Megadorus’ houses.  Euclio, returning to find his home filled with commotion, chases everyone out, sure that his gold has been stolen.  Finding it still safe, he lets the cooks continue with their work while he carries the pot with him under his cloak.
 Megadorus comes on stage, reflecting on the wisdom of marrying a poor girl with no dowry.  Euclio, overhearing the song, is pleased with its sentiments but still suspect Megadorus of wanting to marry his daughter only to get at his gold.  Megadorus leaves to prepare for the wedding as Euclio goes into the shrine of Fides (“Trust” or “Faith”) to hide his pot there.  Lyconides’ slave Pythodicus now appears, having been sent by his master to spy out the situation.  He boasts about his perfect behavior
 Euclio, talking to himself about his gold as he leaves the shrine, is overheard by Pythodicus.  As soon as Euclio enters his house, the slave rushes into the shrine to steal the pot.  At that moment the sound of a bleating sheep sends Euclio running back into the shrine to check on the gold.  Finding Pythodicus there, he drives him outand interrogates him, finally letting him go when he sees that the slave is empty-handed.  He decides to hide the pot in a remote grove; as he exits, he is followed secretly by Pythodicus.
 Lyconides and his mother Eunomia arrive at Megadorus’ house.  Eunomia, having learned the truth from her son, goes inside with Lyconides to convince her brother to abandon his wedding plans.  Pythodicus joyfully runs by with the pot he has pilfered; after him comes Euclio, bemoaning the loss of his gold (Song #5).  Lyconides now confesses to Euclio and reports that Phaedria has had a baby.  As Euclio races inside his house to confirm this, Pythodicus returns, having hidden the pot in his master’s house.  He brags to Lyconides about the theft and asks whether he can buy his freedom with the stolen gold; outraged, Lyconides orders him to give the pot back to Euclio.  At this point the text breaks off.  In our production the Lar will deliver an epilogue reconstructing the lost ending of the play, and everyone will, of course, live happily ever after.