In the middle ages Plautus was little regarded, and 12 of his plays (Bacchides—Truculentus) disappeared from view until they were discovered (in the ms. called D) by Nicholas of Treves in the year 1429. But after the revival of learning Plautus was re instated, and took rank as one of the great dramatists of an tiquity; cf. Shakespeare, Hamlet, II., ii., 420, where Polonius says "The best actors in the world . . . Seneca cannot be too heavy nor Plautus too light." Influence on Modern Literatures.—A comprehensive view of the widespread influence of Plautus on modern literatures is given by Reinhardstoettner, Spdtere Bearbeitungen plautinischer Lustspiele (1886). Many adaptations for the Italian stage were produced between the years 1486 and 155o, the earliest (the Menaechmi) under the direction of Ercole I., duke of Ferrara. From Italy the practice spread to France, Spain, England and other countries.
Of English plays the interlude called Jack Juggler (between 1547 and was based on the Amphitruo, and the lost play called the Historie of Error (acted in 1577) was probably based on the Menaechmi; Nicholas Udall's Ralph Royster Doyster, the first English comedy (acted before 1551, first printed 1566), is founded on Miles Gloriosus; Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors (about 1591) is an adaptation of the Menaechmi; and his Falstaff may be regarded as an idealized reproduction or development of the braggart soldier of Plautus and Terence—a type of character which reappears in other forms not only in English literature (e.g., in Shakespeare's Parolles and Ben Jonson's Captain Bobadil) but also in most of the literatures of modern Europe. Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew has been influenced in several respects (in cluding the names Tranio and Grumio) by the Mostellaria. Ben Jonson produced a skilful amalgamation of the Aulularia and the Captivi in his early play The Case is Altered (written before 1599). Thomas Heywood adapted the Amphitruo in his Silver
Age (1613), the Rudens in his Captives (licensed 1624), and the Mostellaria in his English Traveller (1633). Dryden's Amphi tryon or the two Sosias (169o) is based partly on the Amphitruo, partly on Moliere's adaptation thereof ; Fielding's Miser (acted 1732) on Moliere's L'Avare rather than on the Aulularia, and his Intriguing Chambermaid (acted 1733) on Regnard's Le Retour imprevu rather than on the Mostellaria.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.—Standard Texts and Editions with Notes: Texts by Goetz and Schoell (editio minor, 1893-1907), by Leo (1895-96), by Lindsay (1904-05). With notes: Captivi, by Lindsay (1900) , by Brix (6th ed., 1910) ; Menaechmi, by Brix (5th ed., 1912) ; Miles by Lorenz (2nd ed., 1886), by Brix (3rd ed., 1901) ; Mostellaria by Lorenz (2nd ed., 1883), by Sonnenschein (2nd ed., 1907) ; Pseudolus by Lorenz (1876) ; Rudens by Sonnenschein (1891, ed. min., 1901) ; Trinummus by Brix (5th ed., 5907) ; other plays in Macrnillans Classical Series and the Pitt Press Series. Lexicon: Gonzalez Lodge's Lexicon Plautinum (nearing completion and indispensable). Syntax: Lindsay, Syntax of Plautus (1907): Metre and Prosody: Lindsay, Early Latin Verse (1922) ; Vollmer, Romische Metrik (1923) ; and Ueber die sogenannte lambenkiirzung (1924) ; Sonnenschein in What is Rhythm? (1925, ch. vi.). E. Frankel's Iktus and Akzent im latein ischen Sprechvers (1928) is an attempt to show that in the dialogue metres, as distinct from the metres set to music, the verse-stress (ictus metricus) nearly always coincides with a genuine speech-accent, or at any rate corresponds to some modification of accentuation or intonation. Translations: English prose by P. Nixon in the Loeb Series (1916-24 ; 2 vols. still to come) ; English verse by Wright and Rogers in Broadway Translations—select plays (1923).