Prologue
ita fōrmā similī puerī, ut māter sua
nōn internōsse posset quae mammam dabat,
According to these lines, how similar were the boys in form?
Their mother couldn't tell them apart.
Mess: Nam quid modī futūrum est illum quaerere?
hic annus sextust postquam ei reī operam damus.
What character archetype does Messenio represent, and what trait would we expect to see from him? Explain how that trait is portrayed in his line here.
Servus, wily/clever. He is realistic and a voice of reason to his master.
Men: Ō adulēscēns, salvē, quī mē servāvistī, quisquis es.
Servo, servare, servavi, servatus: to save
Quisque: who
To whom is Men. speaking, and for what does he express his gratitude?
Messenio, for saving him from the 4 slaves
What is the tense and mood (indicative, imperative, subjunctive) of ferent?
Future indicative
What comedic character archetype was played by Peniculus? Explain.
Parasite- the food loving moocher
impōnit geminum alterum in nāvem pater,
Tarentum āvēxit sēcum ad mercātum simul,
illum relīquit alterum apud mātrem domī.
Translate 'domi' and identify its case.
at home; locative
Mess: hominem inter vīvōs quaeritāmus mortuom
We seek a dead man among the living.
Men: mihi est Menaechmō nōmen.
Sos: Immō edepol mihi.
Immo: on the contrary
Men: Siculus sum Syrācūsānus.
Sos: Eadem urbs et patria est mihi.
Men: Quid ego ex tē audiō?
Men: My name is Menaechus.
Sos: By pollux on the contrary it is mine.
Men: I am a Syracusan Sicilian.
Sos: The same city and country is to me.
What is the tense and mood of censeat?
Present subjunctive
What was the one prop used in this play?
Explain 1) its origin (the original character who had it) 2) its second owner 3) who ends up with it in the end
Palla
Matrona, Erotium, Menaechmus II
eāque is aegritūdine
paucīs diēbus post Tarentī ēmortuōst.
According to these lines, quomodo et ubi pater puerorum emortuus est?
from sickness/despair, in Tarentum
Men II: vērum numquam dēsistam exsequī.
Desisto, desistere, destiti, destitus: to stop
Verum, veri neut: truth
ego illum sciō quam cordī sit cārus meō.
Quam carus: how dear
Cor, cordis neut: heart
I will never stop to pursue the truth. I know him, how dear he is to my heart.
Mess: ego quidem huius servus sum, sed mē esse huius crēdidī.
Quidem: indeed
What is the form and reason of esse?
Infinitive, indirect statement
Putavi canem domum cucurrisse.
A) I think that the dog ran home.
B) I thought that the dog ran home.
C) I thought that the dog had run home.
D) I think that the dog will run home.
C
Besides a happy ending, what common comedic theme do we find in Act V? How so?
Comic irony- the audience has figured out what is going on well before the characters on stage
Postquam Syracūsās dē ea rē rediit nūntius
Ea: here a demonstrative adjective meaning ‘that’
Redeo, redire, redii, reditus: to return
ad avom puerōrum, puerum surruptum alterum
patremque puerī Tarentī esse ēmortuom,
immūtat nōmen avus huic geminō alterī;
immuto, -are, -avi, -atus: to change
After the message about that thing returned to Syracuse to the grandfather of the boys, that the one boy was snatched and the father of the boy died at Tarentum, the grandfather changes the name to that other twin.
Men II: Ergō istuc quaerō certum quī faciat mihi,
Istuc: that fact (accusative)
Certus, -a, -um: certain
quī sēsē dīcat scīre eum esse ēmortuom:
operam praetereā numquam sūmam quaerere.
Praeterea: hereafter
Sumo, sumere, sumpsi, sumptus: to take up
Opera, operae fem: effort
What common theme of ancient comedy is introduced here? Explain.
Complex plan- Men. explains how he plans to either find his twin brother or find out from someone that he is dead.
Mess: nam nisi mē animus fallit, hī sunt geminī germānī duo.
Nam: for
Fallo, fallere, fefelli, falsus: to deceive
nam et patriam et patrem conmemorant pariter quī fuerint sibi.
Nam: for
Partier: equally
For unless my mind deceives me, these are 2 twin brothers. for they remember equally both their country and their father, which were to them.
Auxilium Menaechmo a Messenio dandum est.
A) Help must be given to Menaechmus by Messenio.
B) Messenio must be helped by Menaechmus.
C) Messenio is about to help Menaechmus.
D) Messenio must bring Menaechmus help.
A
Menaechmus I was late to dinner at Erotium's house because he got stuck doing business at the forum. How could his monologue about this business have been understood as a satirical attack on Roman values/standards?
Money and status were more important than honesty and kindness.
illīus nōmen indit illī quī domī est
What is the case and reason of illius, OR of illi?
illius- genitive of possession
illi- dative of possession
Mess: quam ob rem nunc Epidamnum vēnimus? Ob: on account of
Men II: Frātrem quaesītum geminum germānum meum.
Translate Men's response, and identify the grammatical construction of quaesitum.
To seek my brother, my twin brother.
Supine
Sos: Dēlīrāre mihi vidēre: nōn commeministī, simul
Deliro, -are, -avi, -atus: to be crazy
Videre = videres
tē hodiē mēcum exīre ex nāvī?
Translate 'commeministi'. Explain its grammatical intricacy.
Si Menaechmus viveret, tu eum iam diu invenisses.
vivo, vivere: to live
iam diu: a long time ago now
invenio, invenire, inveni, inventus: to find
If Menaechmus were living, you would have found him a long time ago now.
Where were the Menaechmi brothers originally from?
Where was Men. I kidnapped?
Where did the play take place?
Where was the play performed?
Syracuse/Sicily
Tarentum
Epidamnus
Rome