324 Specimens of Latin Comedy [MARCH, 



to appease the anger of Jupiter in a time of public calamity and dis- 

 tress.* 



The real subject of the play is the birth of Hercules ; and the plot is 

 founded on the mythological story of Jupiter assuming the figure of 

 Amphitryon, the general of the Thebans, while he was engaged in war 

 against king Pterelas, and thus imposing on the fond credulity of his 

 wife Alcmena. The first scene opens with Sosia, the servant of Amphi- 

 tryon, arriving from the port (his master had sent him on before), to 

 inform Alcmena of the success of the campaign. No sooner had he 

 come in front of the house than he was met by Mercury, who had 

 assumed his form, and who, by arguments of every kind, ad baculinum 

 as well as ad hommem, succeeded in repulsing him, and driving him 

 back to the port. Jupiter takes advantage of this interval to indulge 

 his love with Alcmena. The account which Sosia gave his master of 

 the fisticuff reception, and immediate repulse he had met with from 

 Mercury, was too improbable to be believed at once. He, however, 

 walked from the port with considerable speed, accelerated probably by 

 his anxiety to understand this singular affair, and soon arrived before 

 his house, from which Alcmena comes forth bewailing the departure of 

 her supposed husband (the real Jupiter) ; but immediately upon seeing 

 Amphitryon, expresses her surprise at his speedy return. Amphitryon is 

 as much confused at her account, as he had been before by that of Sosia ; 

 he cannot, however, avoid suspecting some collusion in the matter ; and 

 jealousy succeeds suspicion. Pie quits the stage, in order to bring evi- 

 dence to convince the credulous, yet incredulous Alcmena, that he had 

 never left his army till that time. Jupiter then returns, and Amphi- 

 tryon is refused access to his own house by Mercury, who gives him the 

 dead cut, and pretends not to know him. At length he gains admit- 

 tance, and the true and the false Amphitryon, Jupiter and the real 

 owner of the name, are confronted; and are alternately questioned 

 respecting the occurrences of the late war against king Pterelas, by the 

 pilot of the ship in which Amphitryon had returned. Jupiter comes 

 out unscathed from this (as they thought) infallible ordeal ; and his iden- 

 tity with the husband of Alcmena seems far from doubtful. This, as 

 may be supposed, only works up Amphitryon to a greater pitch of fury 

 and despair. He knows not what to do ; he cannot get rid himself of 

 the consciousness of his own identity, and yet he cannot convince others ; 

 and in this confusion and bewilderment he resolves to wreak vengeance 

 on his whole family, and even defies Jove, and the whole synod of 

 heaven, to stop him in his work of wild revenge. Immediately after 

 this he is supposed to have been struck down by lightning, as, in the 

 next scene, Bromia, Alcmena' s waiting-maid, rushes out of the house, 

 alarmed at the tempest, and sees Amphitryon lying prostrate on the 

 earth. When he recovers, she informs him that Alcmena has given 

 birth to twins ; he is astonished ; but he has no sooner begun to reason 

 upon it than Jupiter appears in person, and unravels the whole mystery ; 

 and Amphitryon is rather pleased with the high honour conferred on 

 him than angered at the perplexity and confusion which the amorous 

 Jove had caused him. Meanwhile the " father and king of gods and 

 men" returns to heaven. 



* Arnobius, vii. Tract, adv. gent. 



