SOURCE: "Plot and Theme in Plautus' Asinaria," in The Classical Journal, Vol. 73, No. 3, February-March, 1978, pp. 215-21.

Here, Konstan examines the theme of materialism and its corrosive effect on morality in the Asinaria.

Four-fifths the way through the play, the plot of Plautus' Asinaria takes a sudden and surprising turn. Briefly, what happens is this. Argyrippus, the young lover in the comedy, is madly infatuated with a meretrix, a harlot, whose name is Philaenium. Unfortunately, there is also a rival called Diabolus, who plans to hire the girl exclusively for himself for an entire year. To forestall him, Argyrippus has to produce the sum of twenty minae before Diabolus can, and thereby preempt the contract. He himself is destitute. At the beginning of the drama we discover that his father, Demaenetus, has learned all about the affair and the role of Libanus, a household slave, in abetting it. Libanus...