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Peace-making is mentioned elsewhere in this play in a variety of contexts, beginning with Mercury's retrospectively punning assertion in the prologue (32): propterea pace advenio et pacem ad vos affero ("And so I come in peace, and I bring you peace"). Some of these expressions refer to peace-negotiations between enemies at war (208209, 257), some are figurative but non-erotic (389, 391, 396, 1127), while two others (outside the scene we have been examining) refer to negotiations between warring lovers. These two are especially important. At vv.4745 Mercury, explaining the plot to the audience, says that "finally Juppiter will lead the couple back to their former harmony" (denique Alcumenam Iuppiter / rediget antiquam coniugi in concordiam). And at the end of the play, as foretold, his machinations now all but ended, Juppiter appears ex machina (1131) and tells the bewildered husband: tu cum Alcumena uxore antiquam in gratiam / redi ("you return to your former harmony with your wife Alcumena" 11411142). Amphitruo promises to do so (11441145), and the spectators are urged to applaud (1146). The comedy ends, then, on the theme of erotic reconciliation. The scene of peace-making between Juppiter and Alcumena occupies a central place in the play's structure,29 is prefigured by earlier references to peace-making, and looks forward to the final reconciliation between the real Amphitruo and his peace-beridden wife. |
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From the first scene of Cistellaria (1119) we gather: that Selenium is in love with Alcesimarchus (87); that he has sworn to marry her (9899); that he is now being obliged by his father to wed another woman, a relative of his from Lemnos (99100); that Melaenis, Selenium's "mother," is angry at her because, despite the boy's treachery, she has not left him and returned home. Selenium explains all this to her friend Gymnasium (whose inebriated mother and manager, Syra, listens in) because Melaenis has insisted she go home and she needs someone to look after the house for three days (104105). Gymnasium agrees to do her this favor, and Selenium asks her please not to be rough on Alcesimarchus when he returns (from a stay out in the country at his father's villa, 225226), because she still loves him (107110). |
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The scene we shall be looking at occurs in one of the sections of the comedy badly marred by lacunae. But this unfortunate circumstance allows us to demonstrate once again the crucial role context plays in determining the force of utterances. If we had nothing more of the play than the following fragment,30 what could we make of it? |
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29 A safe assertion, I think, despite the lacuna beginning at v.1034. |
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30 I take the text from Leo (1895), who prints fraterculum in 452 but suggests puerculum in his apparatus. Cf. the editions of Lindsay (1910) and Ernout (1961). This is not the place to |
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(footnote continued on next page) |
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