Reflections of Roman Women in the comedies of Plautus and Terence

Abstract

This paper examines the way women are stereotyped and characterized in the plays of Plautus and Terence. Due to the highly repetitive plots of the comedies, the female characters share many similarities across the comedic corpus. I also examine multiple themes that persist throughout the comedic corpus. These plays examine the relationships between Roman women and the men in their lives, and the virtues expected of them. I also identify and examine parallels between Roman history and Roman comedy. Many similarities exist between the way that women are characterized in the plays and the way that women are portrayed in historical sources, such as letters, epitaphs, and the works of ancient Roman historians. Fictional and real Roman women are praised and criticized for similar reasons. I argue that these similarities exist because Plautus and Terence were influenced by the world they live in.