In my last post I reviewed Christensen’s article on the evidence for role that the sanctuary of Theseus played in Athenian society as a haven for slaves. The slaves could use the Thesion as a place for safety from their masters as they negotiated for a new master. I see a similar use of Greek divine space preserved in Plautus’ Mostellaria. Remember that while Plautus was a Roman writer, his plays were adaptations of Greek comedies. While sometimes he translated Greek customs and expectations into Roman customs and expectations, other times his plays present ideas and practices that do not fit into Roman society and therefore are likely to be remnants of the Greek plays.
At the beginning of Plautus’ Mostellaria, the slave Grumio complains that the Greeks are too careless with how they manumit their slaves. At the end of the Mostellaria, the clever slave Tranio retreats to an altar (Latin ara) for divine protection while he makes his case for why his masters should not beat him as punishment for the numerous times that he has deceived them over the course of the play. The protection that the altar provides is essential for Tranio, as it holds off the irate Theopropides until Callidamates arrives to plead for Tranio’s case.
Tranio’s use the ara is quite similar to that described by Christensen. For note how Tranio does not use this sacred space to negotiate for his freedom, but rather as space to wait for an advocate. He and his advocate Callidamiates then negotiate the terms for better treatment under his master Theopropides rather than his own freedom. Christensen does not address the possibility that slaves may have used sacred space for this purpose, instead pointing to the strategies that they could use to procure new masters. However, I would not be surprised if Plautus preserves some sort of strategy that slaves in Athens had actually used.
At the beginning of Plautus’ Mostellaria, the slave Grumio complains that the Greeks are too careless with how they manumit their slaves. At the end of the Mostellaria, the clever slave Tranio retreats to an altar (Latin ara) for divine protection while he makes his case for why his masters should not beat him as punishment for the numerous times that he has deceived them over the course of the play. The protection that the altar provides is essential for Tranio, as it holds off the irate Theopropides until Callidamates arrives to plead for Tranio’s case.
Tranio’s use the ara is quite similar to that described by Christensen. For note how Tranio does not use this sacred space to negotiate for his freedom, but rather as space to wait for an advocate. He and his advocate Callidamiates then negotiate the terms for better treatment under his master Theopropides rather than his own freedom. Christensen does not address the possibility that slaves may have used sacred space for this purpose, instead pointing to the strategies that they could use to procure new masters. However, I would not be surprised if Plautus preserves some sort of strategy that slaves in Athens had actually used.