Plautus Captivi 4.1

1. Ergasilus: He has just come from the harbour, where he has seen the son of Hegio, together with Philocrates and Stalagmus, landing from the packet- boat. Now, as he speaks still of his intended dinner with Hegio, to which he had been invited in the earlier part of the Play, we must conclude, that since then, Philocrates has taken ship from the coast of Aetolia, arrived in Elis, procured the liberation of Philopolemus, and returned with him, all in the space of a few hours. This, however, although the coast of Elis was only about fifteen miles from that of Aetolia, is not at all consistent with probability; and the author has been much censured by some Commentators, especially by Lessing, on acccunt of his negligence. It must, however,be remembered, that Plautus was writing for a Roman audience, the greater part of whom did not know whether Elis was one mile or one hundred from the coast of Aetolia. We may suppose, too, that Philopolemus had already caused Stalagmus, the runaway slave, to be apprehended before the arrival of Philocrates in Elis.

2. An inheritance without incumbrances: Sine sacris hereditas. The meaning of this expression has been explained in the Notes to the Trinummus, 484.

3. Slaves of Comedy: — This was done that, when expedition was required, the cloak might not prove an obstruction to the wearer as he walked. The slaves in Comedies usually wore the pallium, and as they were mostly active, bustling fellows, would have it tucked tightly around them. The pallium was usually worn passed over the left shoulder, then drawn behind the back, and under the left arm leaving it bare, and then thrown again over the left shoulder,