I am currently working my way through all of the Roman comedies. This project takes some getting use to, as the plays use many of the same elements, characters and plots. Such repetitions has lead to charges that there is little literary value to the Roman comedies. However, their profound and direct influence on highly valued writers such as Shakespeare and Moliere.
Reading all the plays together offers me a chance to see a number of patterns that I would not have otherwise detected. One such pattern is how frequently clever slaves are described in military language. The idea behind this language is that while soldiers wage against enemies, clever slaves manage schemes against theirs.
I decided to write about this topic today because I came across a very elaborate comparison of a slave to a general. In the Bacchides, the slave Chrysalus, directly compares his schemes to the Trojan War. He then offers a point by point explanation of how the details of his schemes have counterparts in the story of the Greek siege.
“Now for a lecture in Greek mytholoyg: You see, this letter that I signed and sealed is no letter: it’s the wooden horse the Greeks left at Troy. Pistoclerus is the architect Epeos. Mnesilochus is the traitor Sinon, left behind to trick the Trojans. Instead of Achilles’ tomb, there’s Bacchis’ bed: no signal fires here to summon Greeks, just fires of passion. This is Sinon is burning himself up. And I’m the Ulysses who concocted the whole scheme.” (Act 4, Scene 9, trans. James Tatum)
Chrysalus’ imagery here connects the audience to the Greek perspective in two ways: first, Chrysalus is describing himself as part of the Greek force. Second, Chrysalus is describing himself as a Greek through the allusion to the poet most closely associated with Greekness: Homer. I could go on about how he compares himself to Odysseus, but I think you get the picture.
Hence it is rather notable that Chrysalus follows up this Homeric imagery by redescribing in a very Roman setting: the triumph. Triumphs were a Roman tradition for honoring victorious generals. Chrysalus says:
“This is the way to finish: end with a flourish. How nicely things are going! What a Roman triumph! What a load of spoils! To make it official:
The public safety having been decreed,
The town having been captured through guile,
I lead our army unharmed and whole back home.
But don’t be surprised if I don’t celebrate a triumph now. They’re far too common these days, spectators.” (Act 4, Scene 9, Trans. James Tatum)
Next time I’ll talk a bit more about these martial descriptions and how they fit into slave and master relations.
Reading all the plays together offers me a chance to see a number of patterns that I would not have otherwise detected. One such pattern is how frequently clever slaves are described in military language. The idea behind this language is that while soldiers wage against enemies, clever slaves manage schemes against theirs.
I decided to write about this topic today because I came across a very elaborate comparison of a slave to a general. In the Bacchides, the slave Chrysalus, directly compares his schemes to the Trojan War. He then offers a point by point explanation of how the details of his schemes have counterparts in the story of the Greek siege.
“Now for a lecture in Greek mytholoyg: You see, this letter that I signed and sealed is no letter: it’s the wooden horse the Greeks left at Troy. Pistoclerus is the architect Epeos. Mnesilochus is the traitor Sinon, left behind to trick the Trojans. Instead of Achilles’ tomb, there’s Bacchis’ bed: no signal fires here to summon Greeks, just fires of passion. This is Sinon is burning himself up. And I’m the Ulysses who concocted the whole scheme.” (Act 4, Scene 9, trans. James Tatum)
Chrysalus’ imagery here connects the audience to the Greek perspective in two ways: first, Chrysalus is describing himself as part of the Greek force. Second, Chrysalus is describing himself as a Greek through the allusion to the poet most closely associated with Greekness: Homer. I could go on about how he compares himself to Odysseus, but I think you get the picture.
Hence it is rather notable that Chrysalus follows up this Homeric imagery by redescribing in a very Roman setting: the triumph. Triumphs were a Roman tradition for honoring victorious generals. Chrysalus says:
“This is the way to finish: end with a flourish. How nicely things are going! What a Roman triumph! What a load of spoils! To make it official:
The public safety having been decreed,
The town having been captured through guile,
I lead our army unharmed and whole back home.
But don’t be surprised if I don’t celebrate a triumph now. They’re far too common these days, spectators.” (Act 4, Scene 9, Trans. James Tatum)
Next time I’ll talk a bit more about these martial descriptions and how they fit into slave and master relations.