The Brothers Menaechmus

The Brothers Menaechmus Glossary

Apostrophe

An exclamatory passage in a classical drama, typically addressed to an absent person or personified thing (Noun).

Tarentum

Ancient Greek city, located in present-day Italy (Noun).

Epidamnus

Ancient Greek city in modern Corfu. Was also known as Dyrrachium during the Roman period (Noun).

Wend

Go somewhere indirectly, Meander (Verb).

Pauper

A poor person, Indigent (Adjective).

Parasite

A parasite is an organism which relies on another organism for living. In the classical Greco-Roman period, rich people had flatterers around them who were entirely dependent for their livelihood on their mentor. Parasites, or Parasitus in Latin, were stock characters in the comedies of Plautus, like Parasitus Medicus and Parasitus Piger.

Wench

Prostitute (Archaic, Noun).

Concoct

Fabricate, Devise, Invent (Verb).

Bungle

Mishandle, Mismanage, Mess up (Verb).

Ganymede

A Trojan hero of the Greek mythologies, son of Tros of Dardania (Noun).

Adonis

Greek mythological character, mortal lover of Aphrodite (Noun).

Conjecture

Speculation, Guess, Presumption (Noun).

Prudence

Wisdom, Judiciousness (Noun).

Girdle

Belt, Strap, Waistband (Noun).

Drachma

Erstwhile currency of Greece (Noun).

Grandiose

Magnificent, Majestic, Imposing (Adjective).

Concise

Brief, Succinct (Adjective).

Temperamental

Capricious, Volatile, Erratic (Adjective).

Wanton

Malicious, Wicked, Spiteful (Adjective). c.f. Shakespeare: “As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; / They kill us for their sport” (King Lear).

Skiff

Light rowing boat (Noun).

Concubine

Mistress, Paramour (Archaic, Noun).

Exorbitant

Excessive, Prohibitive, Extortionate (Adjective).

Boorishness

Coarseness, Rudeness, Impoliteness (Noun).

Divine Intervention

An epic device, common in Homer, in which gods invent the course the action of the drama and thereby change the fates of the characters involved.

Fogey

A conservative person (Noun).

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