Plautus' Amphitruo is the sole specimen of mythological burlesque in ancient comedy to come down to us in nearly complete form. This sex farce delighted Roman audiences and readers for centuries and continues to inspire adaptations to this day. Dr. Christenson utilizes recent work in performance criticism in conjunction with traditional philological analysis to provide new insights into the play in performance. The edition aims to recover the essence of Plautine spectacle, from the most concrete details of staging to the complex performative dynamics played out among the actors themselves and the actors and the audience. Included in the Introduction is an account of the mythic and dramatic background to Plautus' play as well as of its influence in post-classical drama. Plautus' metres are explained in a manner students will find helpful and instructive. Dr. Christenson presents a new text that includes stage directions in English.

 

 

 

 

Reviews

Greece & Rome, 2nd ser. 48.1 (2001) 97
Emerita 69.1 (2001) 162-4
RFIC 129 (2001) 91-99

Scholia Reviews 11 (2002)
Bryn Mawr Classical Review (2002)
L'Antiquité classique 71 (2002) 315-17
Mnemosyne 55.5 (2002)
The Classical Journal 98.3 (2003) 325-28
Arctos 38 (2004) 231-33
Gnomon 77 (2005) 316-19

 

 

 

 

Cambridge University Press