The comedies of Plautus and Terence: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and...

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)


1. Plautus and Terence: a most neglected body of evidence to study the Hellenistic daily life

1.1. A Greek and highly connected world1.2. Greek social realities

2. Coins in Plautus and Terence comedies 2.1. Semantic numismatic issues in Plautus

2.2. Gold coins in context in Plautus2.3. Silver and bronze coins in context in Plautus

3. Coins in movement 3.1. How were coins transported?

3.2. Where were coins kept: at home or by the banker? 4. Cash versus credit transactions

4.1. Cash transactions4.2. Credit transactions

5. Realistic and consistent prices6. Wholesales as a factor of social mobility7. Rural versus urban: monetary matters

7.1. Richness versus poverty7.2. The countryside: hard labour (without coins?)7.3. The city: the agora and the division of labour

7.3.1. The agora7.3.2. The division of labour

Erich Segal (1947-2010)

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)1. Plautus and Terence: the largest and most neglected body of evidence to study the Hellenistic daily life

Ernesto Biondi, Saturnalia, 1899, Buenos AiresEckhart Lefèvre

file://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Erich_Segal.jpg

file://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Escultura_Saturnalia_de_Ernesto_Biondi.jpg

Peter Green (1924-)


Michael Rostovtzeff(1870-1952)

Epidamnus/DyrrachiumMenaechmi

AetoliaC aptivi

CyreneRudens

CalydonPoenulus

SicyoneCistellaria Epidaurus

Curculio

ThebesAmphytrio Ephesus

Miles gloriosus

AthensAsinariaMostellariaAululariaPersaBacchidesPseudolusCasina StichusEpidicusTrinummusMercatorTruculentus

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)1.1. A Greek and highly connected world

Origins of persons in Plautus comedies

Pella Asi

Macedonia Pse

Aetolians Cap

RhodesAsi, Epi, Eun

SamosBac, Eun

EphesusBac

LemnosCis

Euboea Cur

Carystos Pse

EpidaurusCur,

ArgosAmp

Beotia Cap

Platea Epi

ThebesRud

Ambracia Sti

IllyriaTri

Andros And

Corinth Hea

Mykonion Hec

MiletusAde


Origins of persons in Plautus comedies

PrenestiniBac, Tri

Sicily Cap, Men, RudAgrigentumRud

Carthage Poe

Syracuse Men

Syria Sti, Tru

EthiopiaEun


Names of places in Plautus comedies

ElateiaBac

RhodesMer, Eun

CariaCur, Eun

ThebesEpi, Rud

SpartaPoeBarathreBac

OlympiaCas

ElisCap

SicyoneCur, Pse

NaupactusMil

AnactoriumPoe

NemeaCas

CorinthAul, HecEpidaurus

Epi

EpidamnusMen

EphesusMil

MegaraPer

AsiaSti

MacedoniaTri

LemnosTru, Pho

ImbrosHec


Names of places in Plautus comedies

EtnaMil

EgyptMos

CapuaRud Tarent

Men

CarthagePoe

SeleuciaTri

CiliciaTri, Pho

AsiaTri, Hea

ArabiaTri

PontusTri

BabyloneTru

CyprusAde


Names of goods in Plautus comedies

ArcadiaAsi

LeucasPoe

MelosMos

ThasosPoe

LesbosPoe

ChiosCur, PoeSamosBac, Men, Sti

PhrygiaTru

ZacynthusMer


Names of goods in Plautus comedies

CampaniaPse

AlexandriaPse

ArabiaMil, Tru

PontusTru

TarentTru

CarthageAul

EgyptMer

BabyloneSti



As demonstrated long ago by Charles Knapp (1907, esp. p. 19-24), the world described by Plautus and Terence is highly connected by merchants (including pimps) and individuals looking after their properties (we left here aside the soldiers). We see 13 cases of alledgedly real or fictional merchants: -from Athens going to Eretria (Persa, 260-5, 323-6), Rhodes (Mercator, 12, 75-95), Asia (Stichus, 152, 374-8), Cyprus (Adelphi, 225), Seleucia (Trinummus, 112, 767-72, 845) and even Persia (Persa, 451, 460, 497); -from Ephesus (Miles gloriosus, 131), Pella (Asinaria, 333) and Rhodes (Asinaria, 499-

501) to Athens; -from Cyrene to Capua (Rudens, 629-32); -from Lemnos to Sicyon (Cistellaria, 157-60); -from Syracuse to Tarent (Menaechmi, 17, 27); and -from Epidamnus to Tarent (Menaechmi, 32).

In addition to trade which is – with the movement of the armies – the main reason to travel, we see eight individuals looking abroad after the revenues of their properties: -the Athenian Chrysalus has spent 2 years at Ephesus (Bacchydes, 170-1); -the Epidaurian Phaedromus sent his parasite to Caria to get money from a loan (Curculio, 67, 341);-the Athenian Theopropides has spent 3 years in Egypt for commerce (Mostellaria, 440, 970-1 [“ad mercaturam”]); -the Athenian parasite Sagaristio has been sent to Eretria (Persa, 322-323);-the Athenian Chremes has spent years in Lemnos (Phormio, 679-81,787-92); -the Athenian Demipho travelled to Cilicia (Phormio, 65-69).-the Andrian Crito is in Athens (Andrian, 796); -the Athenian Pamphilus is in Imbros for an inheritage (Hecyra, 5, 171).

Sicyone

Syracuse

Capua

Tarent

Athens

Cyrene

RhodesCyprus

Lemnos

Ephesus

Epidamnus

SeleuciaPersia

Asia

Imbros

Ephesus (2 years)

Lemnos (years)

Cilicia

Caria

Egypt (3 years)

Eretria

Andros


Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)1.2. Greek social realities

Rick Stanley as Pseudolus, Thomas Ouellette as Hysterium and Stephan Jones as Miles Gloriosus. (Photo by Tom HurstMad Cow Theatre)

Louvre, Phlyax scene: a master and his slave. Side A from a Silician red-figured calyx-krater, ca. 350 BC–340 BC, CA 7249.

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)1.2. Greek social realities

A typical miles gloriosus surronded by courtesans

file://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Phlyax_scene_Louvre_CA7249.jpg

http://press.princeton.edu/images/k6997.gif

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)2.1. Semantic numismatic issues in PlautusWhat does “nummus” mean?

Tarentum. Circa 240-228 BC. AR Nomos (18mm, 6.60 g, 5h). (CNG EA 327, 28 May 2014, nr. 184 (coinarchives)

“The vocabulary of Plautus is Greek of South Italy, nummus [= didrachm],… The specifically Roman terms… are… missing… Can we, then, relate the coin-vocabulary of Plautus to the Roman vocabulary of his time?”. (Mattingly & Robinson 1933, p. 53).

http://www.coinarchives.com/51d177a1fdb3f7d8edec48550059126f/img/cng/e/327/image00184.jpg

http://img.cgb.fr/images/librairie/lc76.jpg

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)2.1. Semantic numismatic issues in Plautus

1)In the Persa, Toxilus needs 600 nummi to free his lover (Persa, 36). These nummi are surely tetradrachms since they make 24 minae, which is the right price to free a slave (for an average price of the slaves, see infra). 2)In the Rudens, the leno Labrax pretends he paid 1,000 nummi for Ampelisca, which again cannot be anything else but tetradrachms (40 minae) and is explicitly confirmed when Demones propose to divide this amount in two, and with one half (20 minae) to free his slave Grypus (Rudens, 1406-1410, for an average price of the slaves, see infra). 3)In the Rudens too, Grypus asks the pimp Labrax how much he is ready to give to have his luggage back (Rudens, 1323-32). The sale is going fast: 300 nummi, 400, 500, 600, 700, 1,000, 1,100. It is not enough. Grypus wants a great silver talent, no less. Again, only tetradrachms – and actually 1,500 tetradrachms which make a silver talent – are suitable for the understanding of the text. 4)In the Mercator at last, there is a passionate auction sale between a father and his son for a girl which starts at the normal price of 20 minae (Mercator, 429). But because they are both in love with that girl, price quickly rises beyond expected limit: 27 minae, 30, 35, 42, 50. Then the father recommends to his slave-agent to bid if necessary 1,000 nummi more, which, if tetradrachms, make the perfect sum of 4,000 drachms, which added to the 2,000 of the starting price (20 minae), make 1 silver talent or 60 minae, in the line of the last bid (50 minae).

At last and as a fifth possible context, in the Pseudolus, the cook Ballio says that the other cooks may well sale their daily services at the agora for a drachm (“ille drachumissent miseri”) but he will not move for less than a “nummus”, which is thus necessarily superior to a drachm (Pseudolus, 808-9) and as he later confesses that to ask one “nummus” makes his service very expensive: “fateor equidem esse me coquem carissumum” (Pseudolus, 848), leading us to conclude here also that a “nummus” is higher than a didrachm.

What does “nummus” mean?

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)2.2. Gold coins in context in Plautus

Play Owner Amount Purpose1 Bacchides, 230, 272 Nicobulus 1,200

philippiThe revenues of his properties in Asia

2 Bacchides, 220, 590-1, 868, 882, 970-1,

Cleomachus the soldier

200 philippi To buy the favours of Bacchis

3 Curculio, 440 Therapontigonus Paltagidorus, the soldier back from India

200 philippi To buy the favours of Planesia

4 Miles gloriosus, 1063 Pyrgopolinice, the soldier

1,000 modii of philippi

To buy the favours of Acroteleutia

5 Poenulus, 166-7, 415, 670, 713-4, 732, 734, 782, 784, 1363

Antamenides, old soldier to the service of Attalus

300 philippi To simulate the rich soldier buying the favours of courtesans

6 Rudens, 1313-9 Labrax, the leno 100 philippi The fruit of his commerce

7 Trinummus, 150-2, 952-62, 1137-46, 1158

Charmides 3,000 philippi

A hoard (1,000 philippi for the dowry of his daughter)

8 Truculentus, 952, 954 Stratophanes, the soldier back from Babylon

300 philippi To buy the favours of Phronesia

Table 1. Occurrences where “philippi” are used by Plautus


Play Gold item Owner PurposeAmphytrio, 260-1, 418-9, 534-5, 760-80

Gold cup (« patera aurea »)

First the king Pterelas, now Amphytrio, the general of the Thebans

Given as a reward of his value for having killed the king Pterelas

Casina, 710

Gold ring Pardalisca, the servant of Cleostratus

As a reward for having helped her master

Epidicus, 639

Gold crescent and a small ring

Telestis, the daughter of Periphanus

Gift received when she was born

Menaechmi, 525-7, 682

A gold bracelet (“spinter”)

Erotia, the courtesan

To be brought to the jeweler (“ad aurificem”) to add one ounce of gold (“auri pondo unicam”)

Menaechmi, 541-4

Gold earrings

The servant of Erotia, the courtesan

To create earings of a weight of 2 coins (“faciendo pondo duum nummum stalagmia”)

Rudens, 1087, 1156-8

Small gold sword and double axe

Palestra, the daughter of Demones

Gift received when she was born (“pater quam dedit mihi natali die”)

Table 2. Occurrences for specific jewellery

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)3.1. How were coins transported?

An emblematic passage is to be found in the Truculentus with the encounter of Stratophanes, a typical enriched miles gloriosus, and Strabax a poor young farmer. They are both in love with the courtesan Phronesia who is asking for money.

Stratophanes defies Strabax saying: “Where is your gift? Untie your belt” (“solve zonam”). Strabax replies: “You are a foreigner; I am living here; I am not walking with a belt. I am bringing her a herd in this sealed bag on my neck”. This description fits very well with what we think to know: soldiers in operation use to keep their coins with them in a belt. The herd (“pecua”) is oviously a herd of coins Truculentus, 955-956: “Tu peregrinu’s, hic (ego) habito ; non cum zona ego ambulo ; pecua ad hanc collo in crumina ego obligata defero”.

Youth giving a purse to a sitting hetaera (courtesan). Attic red-figure pelike (wine-holding vessel) by Polygnotos, ca. 430 BC. From Kameiros, Rhodes, Athens, National Museum of Archaeology, nr. 1441.

file://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NAMA_Courtisane_%26_client.jpg


Actor slave, Louvre, CA265

Actor playing the role of a slave sitting on an altar and emptying the purse he just stole. From Locris (?), made in Boeotia, ca. 400–375 BC.

Amphora, Louvre CA 1852, 480 BC

3.1. How were coins transported?

file://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Actor_slave_Louvre_CA265.jpg

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)3.2. Where were coins kept: at home or by the banker?

Nr Play Owner Content Where1 Aulularia, 1-3, 674-

675, 809-810, 821The Athenian Euclio

A marmite with 4 pounds of gold

Buried at home

2 Bacchydes, 1026-1060

The Athenian Nicobule

400 philippei At home

3 Epidicus, 308 The Athenian Periphanes

? In a study at home

4 Poenulus, 345 The Carthaginian Agorastocles, living in Calydon

Gold coins At home

5 Pseudolus, 1238-1245

The Athenian Simon 20 minae At home

6 Trinummus, 150-152, 753-755, 1099

The Athenian Charmides

3,000 philippei

Buried at home

7 Heautontimoroumenos, 804

The Athenian Chremes

1,000 drachms At home

8 Bacchydes, 306-307, 312-313, 336

Chrysale, the son of the Athenian Nicobule

1,200 philippei

To Theotimes, the priest of the Ephesian temple of Artemis

Table 3. Where are kept the coins?

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)3.2. Where were coins kept: at home or by the banker?

Play Creditor Amount Where9 Asinaria, 116-117,

246-248, 427-428The Athenian Diabole

20 minae By the banker at the agora

10 Captivi, 192-193, 458-459

Ergasile, parasite of Aetolians citizens

Small amount By the banker

11 Captivi, 449 The Aetolian Hegion

Money for the travel

By the banker

12 Curculio, 336, 345-347, 432-435, 534-538

The soldier Therapontigonus

30 minae By the banker Lycus at Epidaurus

13 Pseudolus, 1230 The leno Ballio 20 minae By the banker at the agora

14 Trinummus, 425-429 The Athenian Charmidès

1,000 drachms By the banker Olympicus at the agora

15 Trinummus, 965 The Athenian Charmides

1,000 philippei

By the banker

16 Trinummus, 727-728 The Athenian Lesbonicus

1 talent By the banker at the agora

17 Adelphi, 277 Aeschines ? (to reimburse Sannio)

At the agora

18 Adelphi, 369-370, 406

The Athenian Micion

? (he gives 50 extra drachms for the costs)

By the banker at the agora

Table 3. Where are kept the coins?

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)4.1. Cash transactions

The courtesan Cleaereta: “Daylight, water, the sun, the moon, the night, these things I purchase not with money; the rest, whatever we wish to enjoy, we purchase on Grecian trust (« Graeca fide »). When we ask bread of the baker, wine form the wineshop, if they receive the money, they give their wares; the same principle do I go upon. My hands always have eyes in them; they believe what they see. There is an old saying: ‘trusting is good for nought;” you know whose it is. I say no more” (Asinaria, 198-203)

Ljubljana City Theatre, Asinaria (Cleareta: Iva Kranjc)

(on the agora) “as the saying goes, it is not words, but bronze coins, which pay the bills” (Herodas, The cobbler, 49-50)

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)4.2. Credit transactions

Play Who and to whom Amount PurposeWith interest1 Epidicus, 52-3,

143-4, 607-608, 619

The soldier Epidicus to an old Theban usurer

40 minae To acquire a courtesan

2 Mostellaria, 6, 625-9, 919, 1139-40

Philolaches to an usurer

40 minae To free a courteasn

3 Pseudolus, 286-7 Calidorus would better go to the usurer

20 minae To free a courtesanWithout interest (mutuum, eranos)

4 Epidicus, 115-6 Stratippocles to his friend Chaeribulus

40 minae To reimburse the usurer

5 Pseudolus, 80, 294-5

Calidorus doesn’t find any money to borrow without interest

40 minae To free a courtesan

6 Trinummus, 757-62, 1055-6

Callicles to a friend

unknown

7 Trinummus, 425-9 Stasimos has lent to a friend

1 talent unknown

8 Phormio, 512-3, 703-4, 886-7

Phedria has 3 days to ask his friends for a loan

(20 minae?)

To free the slave Pamphila

Table 4. Credit with or without interest

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)5. Realistic and consistent prices Dowries (from 2 to 20 talents – average: 6-10 talents): 20 talents (Cistelleria, 560-561: “talenta magna viginti”: a rich family), 10 talents (Mercator, 703: “decem talenta”, a rich dowry to a depraved husband), 10 talents (Andrian, 950: dowry of Glycera), 10 talents (Phormio, 393), 6 talents (Truculentus, 844-845: “sex talenta magna” – retired by Callicles from the dowry of his daughter to punish Diniarcus for his fault), 6 talents (Andrian, 20: dowry of Philumena), 3 1/3 talents (Trinummus, 1158: “mille auri Philippum”), 2 talents (Heautontimorumenos, 838, 938-942: Chremes who is the typical character of a poor senex rusticus cannot give more). As stipulated in Phormio, 393, if a girl has a dowry of 10 talents, everyone reminds her father. Conversely, Chremes is arguing that poverty makes it impossible for him to give her daughter a dowry superior to 2 talents (plus 10 minae for the trousseau (Heautontimorumenos, 835).

Houses: 15 talents (Heautontimorumenos, 144-145: price got for the sale of all the properties of Menedemes: houses, furniture, servants and slaves – “nihil relinquo in aedibus, nec vas nec vestimentum; conrasi omnia: ancillas, servos”), 6 talents (Mostellaria, 637-645, 912-914 and 1010-1013: Tranio invents that Philolaches has bougth a splendid house [“aedis”] which is worth several large talents, at least 6 for his father Theopropides who is bamboozled by the trick, and has already paid 40 minae for the arrhes “arraboni”), 40 minae (Trinummus, 123-128, 403, 1081-1082: price paid for a house to his bankrupted owner), 10 minae (Phormio, 661-663: price paid for a little house “aediculae”). It seems that the average price for houses was about 40 minae at Athens.

Courtesans (hetaerae) (from 20 minae to 60 minae – average: 30 minae): 60 minae (Curculio, 64-65: price asked [but not paid] by the leno Cappadox), 60 minae (Epidicus, 467-468: price paid by a soldier for a “tibicina”, a lyre-player); 50 minae (Epidicus, 366-367: “argenti minas quinquaginta”, price paid by Epidicus for the “tibicina”), 40 minae (Epidicus, 52-53, 296: price paid by the leno for the “tibicina”), 40 minae (Rudens, 1406: “mille nummum”, which can only be tetradrachms, see supra), 30 minae (Curculio, 64-65, 344-345, 490-492: price paid to the leno Cappadox for a virgin he had himself bought for 10 minae when she was young), 30 minae (Mostellaria, 297-300, 971-974: for Philematia, a “tibicina”), 30 minae (Rudens, 44-46: price paid to the leno), 30 minae (Phormio, 556: expensive price paid for Pamphila), 24 minae (Persa, 36: “nummos sescentos”, which can only be tetradrachms, see supra), 20 minae (Pseudolus, 51-52, 482: price paid by a soldier to the leno for Phenicia, a “tibicina”), 20 minae (Adelphi, 191-192, 223, 242: price paid by Sannio for a “psaltria”, a musician). In the Curculio, 60 minae is explicitly considered as a non-reasonable price (Curculio, 64-65), only paid in the Epidicus by a fool soldier for a lyre-player bought by the leno for 40 and sold to Epidicus for 50 (Epidicus, 52-53, 296, 366-367 and 467-468).

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)5. Realistic and consistent prices Slaves (from 6 minae to 20 minae – average: 20 minae): 20 minae (Mercator, 429-440: starting price for Pasicompsa, who is loved by the father and the son both competing for her putting the bids to abnormal prices: 27, 30, 35, 42, 50 minae), for 20 minae (Captivi, 353, 364, 380, 437: prices for a captured soldier), 20 minae (Pseudolus, 1-2: un soldier paid 15 minae and leaves his seal to buy a slave who is worthing 20 minae), 20 minae (Eunuch, 984-985: price paid by Phedria to buy an eunuch), 20 minae (Eunuch, 168-169, 357, 984: price paid by Phedria for an old Ethiopian slave and an ugly eunuch), 18 minae (Poenulus, 896-900, 1380: prices paid to a Sicilian pirate for two babies and their nurse), 10 minae (Phormio, 661-663: price for a litlle servant to his wife), 10 minae (Curculio, 525: price paid by the leno for Planesia when she was young), 10 minae (Asinaria, 651-652: Argyrippos, madly in love for Philenia, is ready to emancipate his two slaves and even to call then their boss), 6 minae (Captivi, 974: for the young boy of Heghion captured when he was 4 years old), 3 minae (Eunuch, 357, 471: very low estimated price by Thraso for an old Ethiopian slave). The normal price for an adult is consistently 20 minae which is substantially higher than most of our sources (4-5 minae).

Goods (varia): 20 minae (Asinaria, 348, 396: for donkeys [number not specified]), 20 minae (Truculentus, 647-655: for sheep [number no specified]), 10 minae (Phormio, 661-662: for a field with a mortgage [“ager oppositus pignori”]), 10 minae (Curculio, 344-345: for the clothes and the jewelerry of a courtesan [“vestem, aurum”]), 4 minae (Menaechmi, 205: for a coat [“pallam”]), 3 minae (Mostellaria, 823: very expensive price paid for two lintels [“postis”]), 12 drachms (Menaechmi, 219: “tris nummos”, provisions made at the agora by the cook Cylinder), 10 drachms (Andrian, 451: the avaritious Pamphile has not paid more than 10 drachms for the wedding party of his son), 4 drachms (Menaechmi, 289-290, 311: “nummum illum” for porks without any defect for the sacrifice), 1 obol (Andrian, 369: the price of a diner with vegetables and little fish [“holera et pisciculos minutes ferre obolo in cenam seni”]).

Daily salaries: 4 drachms (Aulularia, 448: the cook has been hired for one piece [“nummo sum conductus”]; he complains that the doctor will cost him more having been beated); 4 drachms (Epidicus, 312, 372: to hire a lyre player for one day [“nummo”]), 4 drachms (Pseudolus, 808-809, 847: price asked by the cook Ballio for one day [“nummo”], while the others are asking for one drachm), 1 drachm (Mercator, 777: price asked by a cook), 1 drachm (Pseudolus, 808-809: normal price asked by the cooks at the agora). A drachm for a day is certainly in the right order of magnitude for Greek Classical and Hellenistic salaries (Poenulus, 270: nickname of a prostitute [“scorta dioboloria”]).

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)6. Wholesales as a factor of social mobility

In the Mercator, we see Charinus reminds that, when his grandfather died, who always cultivated his estates in the country, his father: “had sold the farm, and with that money had bought for himself a bark of 300 hundreds metretae, and with the same had transported merchandize to every quarter, even until he had acquired the property which he then possessed” (Mercator, 73-78). In the Truculentus, Diniarchus complains not to have been successful with breeding; he would like to run a small estate and to plow (Truculentus, 147-51).

Lamelles oraculaires de Dodone (Lhôte 2006)N° 74: "Dois-je me consacrer au travail de la terre ?" (è geiorgen)N° 75: "Est-il préférable pour Agélochos, venu d'Hergétion, de se consacrer au travail de la terre ?" (... ameinon esti gaorgèn). (c. 340-330 ?).N° 88: "Est-ce qu'en m'expatriant, je réussirais à trouver du travail ?"N° 89: "Bonne fortune. Puis-je avoir du succès si je vais commercer là où cela semblera profitable, et si j'importe et exporte comme il me semblera bon, tout en continuant à exercer mon activité artisanale ?"N° 90: "Est-il avantageux et profitable que je fasse du commerce sur mer ?" N° 91: "Dieu. Bonne fortune. Lochiskos demande à Diona, au sujet de son travail, s'il peut avoir du bonheur et du succès en errant sur la mer ?"N° 93: "Dieu. A la bonne fortune; Hippostratos demande à Zeus Naios et à Diona s'il ne lui serait pas profitable et avantageux d'armer un navire ?" (nauklèrun)N° 94: "O Zeus et Thémis et Diona Naioi, Archéphon garde à quai le navire qu'il a fait bâtir sur les instances d'Apollon: serai-je sauvé, moi-même comme mon navire, si (rasura), et si j'acquitte mes dettes" (ta chrea apodôsô)N° 95: "Dieux. Bonne fortune. O Zeus, réponds à Timodamos: engager son capital (to argurio) dans le grand commerce (emporeuesthai), sur terre et sur mer, pendant autant de temps que Timodamos en décidera lui-même, est-ce là le meilleur ? Réponse: "Dieux. Bonne fortune. Habiter en ville, y faire du petit commerce et du grand commerce, mais céder tes parts du cargo. Faire du grand commerce en important et exportant (emporeuesthai de chremata agonta) des marchandises sur terre et sur mer, en vendant et en achetant"N° 96: "Dieu. Bonne fortune. Lysias demande au dieu s'il peut réussir en s'adonnant à la mer et en prenant des parts dans un navire ?". "Faut-il payer quelque chose ?"N° 98: "(le consultant interroge sur) ses activités commerciales en direction d'Epidammne" (emporias)

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)6. Wholesales as a factor of social mobility

1) Having been recognized as his brother (Menaechmus II), Menaechmus I decides to leave Epidamnus to go back forever to Syracuse. His brother is ready to sail immediately but Menaechmus I asks for seven days, the time he could organize an auction for all his properties (“auctionem hic faciam et vendam quicquid est”) – slaves, furnitures, lands, houses – and everything, whatever its price, will be paid in cash (“omnia venibunt, quiqui licebunt, praesenti pecunia”) (Menaechmi, 1152 and 1157-62).

2) Nearly the same scene happens in the Poenulus: Agorastocles has decided to go back to Carthage but announces that one has to expect a few days, the time to sale his properties (“dum auctionem facio”) (Poenulus, 1419-1421). In addition, one is told that the six days spent by Callicles in the country were enough for his son to sale his house (Trinummus, 166-7).

The 1940 movie The Boys From Syracuse was based on the Broadway musical, which was inspired by Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” and its prototype, “The Brothers Menaechmus” by Roman playwright Plautus.

There are also two similar scenes of auction wholesales which provide much expected information about the capacity to quickly convert fixed assets into money.

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)7. Rural versus urban: monetary matters - 7.1. Richness versus poverty

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)7.2. The countryside: hard labour (without coins?)

The poor peasants are described as suntanned, badly clothed, and smelling garlic. Money is nearly never evoked in such a context. The only exception is when Strabax, asked by his father to go a morning to the farm (“ad villam”) to feed oxes, falls on a debtor who gives him 20 minae he owed to his father for having bought Tarentine sheep (Truculentus, 645-9).

Interestingly, in the character of Theophrastus, the Boorishness (Ἀγροικιας) is described as the one who: “when he receives money he tests it and finds it wanting; it looks, says he, too much like lead (“ἀποκιμάζειν λίαν λέγων μολυβρὸν εἶναι”); and changes it for other” (Theophrastus IV, 11). The peasant it thus typified as the one who doesn’t trust coin, because he is less familiar with.

Peasant wearing a pilos and holding a basket, Myrina, 1st c. BCE

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)7.3. The city: the agora and the division of labour - 7.3.1. The agora


“There stands the scourer, the embroiderer, the goldsmith, the woolen-manufacturer, retail dealers in figured skirts, dealers in women’s underclothing, dyers in flame-colour, dyers in violet, dyers in wax-colour, or else sleeve-makers, or perfumers; wholesale linendrapers shoemakers, squatting cobblers, slipper-makers; sandasmakers stand there; strainers in mallow colour stand there; hairdressers make their demands, botchers their demands; bodice-makers stand there; makers of kirtles take their stand. Now you would think them got rid of; these make way, others make their demands; three hundred duns are standing in your hall; weavers, lace-makers, cabinet-makers, are introduced; the money’s paid them. You would think them got rid of by this; when dyers in saffroncolours come sneaking along, etc.” (Aulularia, 508-19)

7.3. The city: the agora and the division of labour - 7.3.2. The division of labour

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)7.3. The city: the agora and the division of labour - 7.3.2. The division of labour

Plautus and Terence comedies: one of our best chances to study Hellenistic economy and monetary matters in movement (François de Callataÿ)7.3. The city: the agora and the division of labour - 7.3.2. The division of labour

“Do you know the portico down this way, just by the shambles (“porticum apud macellum”)? … Go straight along, right up that street; when you come there, there is a descent right opposite that goes down-ward, go straight down that; afterward, on this side, there is a chapel (“sacellum”): close by it is a narrow lane (“angiportum”), where there is also a great wild fig-tree… I made a mistake. Return to the portico; indeed that will be a much nearer way, and there is less going round about you know the house of Cratinus, the rich man (Cratini ditis aedis”)? … When you have passed that, keep strait along that street on the left hand; when you come to the Temple of Diana, turn to the right; before you come to the city gate, just by that pond, there is a baker, and opposite to it a joiner’s; there he is … He has given some couches to be made, with oaken legs, for use in the open air” (Adelphi, 573-85).


From an economic perspective, the world described by Plautus and Terence is amazingly modern.

Briefly said, it is a world

more connected, more monetized,

and more monetary flexible than usually supposed,

with a large use of credit and a deep division of labour.

Relief with Menander and New Comedy Masks (Roman, AD 40-60) - the masks show three of his canonical New Comedy characters: youth, false maiden, old man (Getty, Villa).


From an economic perspective, the world described by Plautus and Terence is amazingly modern.

Briefly said, it is a world

more connected, more monetized,

and more monetary flexible than regularly supposed,

with a large use of credit and a deep division of labour.

Rome, Palazzo dei Conservatori, Museum, Theatrical masks of Tragedy and Comedy. Mosaic, 2nd century CE.

Fontaine 2013, p. 517.


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