*O*mnem rem noscunt. geminos Alcumena enititur.[2]

Jupiter, being seized with love for Alcmena, changed his
form to that of her husband, Amphitryon, while he was doing
battle with his enemies in defence of his country. Mercury,
in the guise of Sosia, seconds his father and dupes both
servant and master on their return. Amphitryon storms at his
wife: charges of adultery, too, are bandied back and forth
between him and Jupiter. Blepharo is appointed arbiter, but
is unable to decide which is the real Amphitryon. They
learn the whole truth at last, and Alcmena gives birth
to twin sons.

PERSONAE

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

MERCVRIVS DEUS
SOSIA SERVUS
IVPPITER DEUS
ALCVMENA MATRONA
AMPHITRVO DUX
BLEPHARO GUBERNATOR
BROMIA ANCILLA

MERCURY, _a god._
SOSIA, _slave of Amphitryon._
JUPITER, _a god._
ALCMENA, _wife of Amphitryon._
AMPHITRYON, _commander-in-chief of the Theban army._
BLEPHARO, _a pilot._
BROMIA, _maid to Alcmena._

_Scaena Thebis._

_Scene:--Thebes. A street before Amphitryon's house._

PROLOGVS[3]

PROLOGUE

[Footnote 3: The genuineness of the Prologues of these plays has
long been a moot question. The tendency of the more recent
investigators has been to hold that all were, at least in part,
written by Plautus himself.]

MERCVRIVS DEVS

SPOKEN BY THE GOD MERCURY

Ut vos in vostris voltis mercimoniis
emundis vendundisque me laetum lucris
adficere atque adiuvare in rebus omnibus
et ut res rationesque vostrorum omnium
bene me expedire voltis peregrique et domi
bonoque atque amplo auctare perpetuo lucro
quasque incepistis res quasque inceptabitis,

According as ye here assembled would have me prosper you
and bring you luck in your buyings and in your sellings of
goods, yea, and forward you in all things; and according
as ye all would have me find your business affairs and
speculations happy outcome in foreign lands and here at
home, and crown your present and future undertakings with
fine, fat profits for evermore;

et uti bonis vos vostrosque omnis nuntiis
me adficere voltis, ea adferam, ea uti nuntiem
quae maxime in rem vostram communem sient-- 10
nam vos quidem id iam scitis concessum et datum
mi esse ab dis aliis, nuntiis praesim et lucro--:
haec