JOURNAL ARTICLE

The Body of the Meretrix and the Sexualization of Simo's House in Plautus' Mostellaria.

  • Published In: American Journal of Philology, 2024, v. 145, n. 2. P. 209 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Nichols, Marden Fitzpatrick 3 of 3

Abstract

In Plautus' Mostellaria , the enslaved Tranio covers up the young Philolaches' purchase of the meretrix Philematium's freedom by telling Philolaches' father Theopropides that his son blew a fortune on the house next door. Though Philematium is hidden out of sight for much of the play, her body materializes in the feminizing language through which Tranio, Theopropides, and the owner Simo describe this house. Their conversation at the threshold transforms Theopropides into the literary trope of the meretrix 's excluded lover and calls to mind both the disempowerment of meretrices through the process of aging and the power they wield through pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:American Journal of Philology. 2024/06, Vol. 145, Issue 2, p209
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Biography
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:0002-9475
  • DOI:10.1353/ajp.2024.a936329
  • Accession Number:179531301
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of American Journal of Philology is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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