One of the greatest comic writers of the Roman world, Plautus (c. 254-184 BC), skillfully adapts classical Greek comic traditions to the customs and morals of his time. This collection includes a variety of his best plays, from the light comedy Pseudolus, in which the love-struck Calidorus and his slave attempt to free his beloved from her pimp, to the more undercutting The Prisoners, which raises serious questions about the role of slavery. Also included are The Menachmi Brothers, which served as a model for Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors, and The Pot of Gold, whose old miser Euclio is a wonderful study in greed. Altogether, Plautus breathes new, vibrant life into classical comic types - including cunning twins, stage slaves, cantankerous old men, and boastful soldiers - creating an entertaining critique of Roman life and values.