Plautus
Plautus | |
|---|---|
Imaginary 18th-century portrait | |
| Born | c. 254 BC |
| Died | 184 BC Rome, Roman Republic |
| Occupation | playwright |
| Language | Latin |
| Nationality | Roman |
| Period | Roman Republic |
| Genre | Roman comedy |
Titus Maccius Plautus (/ˈplɔːtəs/ PLAW-təs; c. 254 – 184 BC) was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest Latin literary works to have survived in their entirety. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the genre devised by Livius Andronicus, the innovator of Latin literature. The word Plautine /ˈplɔːtaɪn/ (PLAW-tyne) refers to both Plautus's own works and works similar to or influenced by his. He influenced some of the greatest figures in literature, including Shakespeare and Molière (The Miser is partly modeled after Plautus's Aulularia).