Loading credits…
Brothers Demea and Micio disagree about how to raise Demea's sons: Demea is strict with Ctesipho while Micio permissively raises Aeschinus. The sons' romances and deceptions bring the fathers into conflict, until Demea adopts Micio's generosity to teach him a lesson and both sons choose Demea's guidance.
Selenium, a young woman raised by the courtesan Melaenis, loves Alcesimarchus, whose father plans another marriage. As their families clash, a casket containing a child's rattle reveals that Selenium is the daughter of senator Demipho and his wife Phanostrata, allowing her to marry Alcesimarchus.
Sostratos falls in love with the daughter of the ill-tempered farmer Knemon and seeks his consent to marry her. With help from Knemon’s stepson Gorgias, Sostratos proves his work ethic and helps rescue Knemon from a well. Knemon relents and blesses the marriage; Sostratos’s father also agrees to Gorgias marrying Sostratos’s sister, while Knemon is carried into the wedding celebration.
After Pamphile gives birth five months into her marriage, she has a servant abandon the baby with identifying jewels; a shepherd and charcoal-burner dispute ownership of the tokens before arbitration, and the ring among them links the child to Charisios, who has left his wife in suspicion and guilt.
Courtesan Thais tries to return Pamphila, kidnapped as a child, to her Athenian family. Phaedria's brother Chaerea disguises himself as a eunuch to enter Thais's house and sexually assaults Pamphila; the truth emerges, Pamphila is recognized as freeborn, and Chaerea offers to marry her as the households reconcile.
In a street in Attica, a father who regrets sending his son abroad secretly shelters the returning young man. A slave’s deceptions entangle two neighboring households over the sons’ romances, until a ring reveals that one young woman is the other father’s lost daughter and the families arrange marriages.
Pamphilus is forced to marry Philumena after ending his affair with Bacchis, then leaves town. Philumena returns to her parents’ home while pregnant from a rape that occurred before the marriage; Pamphilus fears she was unfaithful and rejects her. A ring reveals that he himself was the assailant, and the couple reconcile when he accepts his son.
Mercenary Thrasonides frees and courts Krateia, who rejects him because she mistakenly believes he killed her brother. When she learns her brother is alive, she accepts Thrasonides and her father approves their marriage.
A New Comedy of reconciliation, probably set in Corinth, follows the mercenary Polemon and Glykera, his pallake. After Polemon cuts Glykera’s hair in jealousy, she takes refuge with a neighbor; a recognition reveals that she and Moschion are siblings, clearing the way for Glykera’s reconciliation and marriage to Polemon.
The slave Toxilus devises a scheme with fellow slave Sagaristio to buy freedom for Lemniselenis, who is held by the pimp Dordalus. They trick Dordalus into buying Saturio’s daughter, disguised as a Persian’s captive; Saturio then reclaims her and takes Dordalus to court, while the others celebrate the pimp’s loss.
Demeas’s mistress Chrysis takes in the infant daughter of his adopted son Moschion and Plangon after her own baby dies. Misunderstandings lead Demeas to accuse Chrysis of seducing Moschion and evict her; after the truth emerges, Nikeratos is calmed and Moschion’s marriage to Plangon proceeds.
Two sisters refuse their father's demand that they remarry while their husbands are away at sea. When the brothers return wealthy, the family reunites; meanwhile their slave Stichus celebrates his homecoming with a feast, dancing and his companions.
Brothers Demea and Micio disagree about how to raise Demea's sons: Demea is strict with Ctesipho while Micio permissively raises Aeschinus. The sons' romances and deceptions bring the fathers into conflict, until Demea adopts Micio's generosity to teach him a lesson and both sons choose Demea's guidance.
Selenium, a young woman raised by the courtesan Melaenis, loves Alcesimarchus, whose father plans another marriage. As their families clash, a casket containing a child's rattle reveals that Selenium is the daughter of senator Demipho and his wife Phanostrata, allowing her to marry Alcesimarchus.
Sostratos falls in love with the daughter of the ill-tempered farmer Knemon and seeks his consent to marry her. With help from Knemon’s stepson Gorgias, Sostratos proves his work ethic and helps rescue Knemon from a well. Knemon relents and blesses the marriage; Sostratos’s father also agrees to Gorgias marrying Sostratos’s sister, while Knemon is carried into the wedding celebration.
After Pamphile gives birth five months into her marriage, she has a servant abandon the baby with identifying jewels; a shepherd and charcoal-burner dispute ownership of the tokens before arbitration, and the ring among them links the child to Charisios, who has left his wife in suspicion and guilt.
Courtesan Thais tries to return Pamphila, kidnapped as a child, to her Athenian family. Phaedria's brother Chaerea disguises himself as a eunuch to enter Thais's house and sexually assaults Pamphila; the truth emerges, Pamphila is recognized as freeborn, and Chaerea offers to marry her as the households reconcile.
In a street in Attica, a father who regrets sending his son abroad secretly shelters the returning young man. A slave’s deceptions entangle two neighboring households over the sons’ romances, until a ring reveals that one young woman is the other father’s lost daughter and the families arrange marriages.
Pamphilus is forced to marry Philumena after ending his affair with Bacchis, then leaves town. Philumena returns to her parents’ home while pregnant from a rape that occurred before the marriage; Pamphilus fears she was unfaithful and rejects her. A ring reveals that he himself was the assailant, and the couple reconcile when he accepts his son.
Mercenary Thrasonides frees and courts Krateia, who rejects him because she mistakenly believes he killed her brother. When she learns her brother is alive, she accepts Thrasonides and her father approves their marriage.
A New Comedy of reconciliation, probably set in Corinth, follows the mercenary Polemon and Glykera, his pallake. After Polemon cuts Glykera’s hair in jealousy, she takes refuge with a neighbor; a recognition reveals that she and Moschion are siblings, clearing the way for Glykera’s reconciliation and marriage to Polemon.
The slave Toxilus devises a scheme with fellow slave Sagaristio to buy freedom for Lemniselenis, who is held by the pimp Dordalus. They trick Dordalus into buying Saturio’s daughter, disguised as a Persian’s captive; Saturio then reclaims her and takes Dordalus to court, while the others celebrate the pimp’s loss.
Demeas’s mistress Chrysis takes in the infant daughter of his adopted son Moschion and Plangon after her own baby dies. Misunderstandings lead Demeas to accuse Chrysis of seducing Moschion and evict her; after the truth emerges, Nikeratos is calmed and Moschion’s marriage to Plangon proceeds.
Two sisters refuse their father's demand that they remarry while their husbands are away at sea. When the brothers return wealthy, the family reunites; meanwhile their slave Stichus celebrates his homecoming with a feast, dancing and his companions.