The rape-pregnancy plots of Roman comedy and their reception in nineteenth-century Greece: the case of The Pot of Basil by Antonios Matesis.

This article examines Antonios Matesis's 1832 Greek play *The Pot of Basil* (Ο βασιλικός) as a significant example of Roman comedy reception in nineteenth-century Greece, particularly within the Ionian Islands' transnational cultural context. Drawing on Terence's *Hecyra*, Matesis adapts the common Roman comedy plot of rape and unwanted pregnancy to foreground the emotional experiences and reproductive autonomy of Garoufalia, the pregnant heroine, who is given a prominent onstage role unlike her counterpart in *Hecyra*. The play reflects Enlightenment ideals and local debates on women's rights and social freedoms, aligning with contemporary Zakynthian discourses exemplified by Elisavet Moutzan-Martinengou's autobiography, and critiques the patriarchal restrictions imposed on upper-class women. Matesis's work thus integrates classical literary tradition with a proto-feminist commentary on gender and social justice in early modern Greek society, while participating in broader European theatrical and intellectual currents.