Despite this, the manuscript tradition of Plautus is poorer than that of any other ancient dramatist, something not helped by the failure of scholia on Plautus to survive. Only short fragments, mostly quotations by later writers of antiquity, survive from 31 other plays. Plautus wrote around 130 plays, of which 20 have survived intact, making him the most prolific ancient dramatist in terms of surviving work. The stage is deserted then Laughter, Jest and Wit,Īnd all Melody's countless numbers wept together. Scaena deserta, dein Risus, Ludus IocusqueĮt Numeri innumeri simul omnes conlacrimarunt. Postquam est mortem aptus Plautus, Comoedia luget, They are the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. He reworked the Greek texts to give them a flavour that would appeal to the local Roman audiences. Plautus's comedies are mostly adapted from Greek models for a Roman audience, and are often based directly on the works of the Greek playwrights. Plautus attained such a popularity that his name alone became a hallmark of theatrical success. His studies allowed him to produce his plays, which were released between c. He is then said to have worked as a manual laborer and to have studied Greek drama-particularly the New Comedy of Menander-in his leisure. Tradition holds that he made enough money to go into the nautical business, but that the venture collapsed. His acting talent was eventually discovered and he adopted the names "Maccius" (a clownish stock-character in popular farces) and "Plautus" (a term meaning either "flat-footed" or "flat-eared", like the ears of a hound). It is from this work, perhaps, that his love of the theater originated. According to Morris Marples, Plautus worked as a stage-carpenter or scene-shifter in his early years. It is believed that he was born in Sarsina, a small town in Emilia Romagna in northern Italy, around 254 BC.
Not much is known about Titus Maccius Plautus' early life.
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