Pseudolus is our first work by a Roman author.  So far, we've been looking at ancient Near Eastern culture (with Gilgamesh) and Greek culture (with Homer, Aeschylus, etc.).  Now, we turn to Roman culture.

So, what has changed?  Is Roman culture significantly different from Greek culture?  Are the Romans concerned with the same issues as the Greeks before them?  If so, do they come to the same conclusions and resolve things in the same way as the Greeks?  If not, what new issues seem to concern them?  For starters, is it significant that Plautus, unlike the Greek writers before him, chooses not to use mythological material for his play (instead making up his own totally new story)?

To answer these questions, I recommend that we focus on what the characters seem to value (or not value)?  How does Plautus seem to see the world?  Is it a dangerous place? a wicked place? a fun place? a wonderful place? a stable place? an unstable place?  Who prospers in the world?  What role do women play?  What is the nature and authority of the state?  What makes someone evil or bad in the play?  Would you like to live in the world of Pseudolus?  Would it be fun to visit Simo's street?  Would you have wanted to visit the world of any of the Greek works we've read?

What does the world created in Pseudolus tell us about the similarities and differences between the ancient Romans and the ancient Greeks?