1 Plautus, Menaechmi: Twin Helping Twin Stavros Frangoulidis Summary: This paper explores how Menaechmus II of Syracuse unintentionally succeeds in removing Menaechmus I, his Epidamnian twin, from a society which has been exploiting him. The process of withdrawal runs through the play, and is achieved in two stages in which Menaechmus II assumes his twin brother’s meta-dramatic role: in the first play the newly arrived brother alienates the Epidamnian twin from his immediate social and family milieu; and in the second he almost leads the Epidamnians to have his brother isolated within the community on account of the latter’s alleged insanity. As servus bonus, Messenio initially discourages Menaechmus II from comic merrymaking, thus impeding the reunion of the siblings, but later assists in forwarding the plot: he thwarts the Epidmanians’ intention to seclude him and eventually facilitates the recognitio between the twins as well as their final decision to return to their native land. Thus, Menaechmus II’s quest for his twin, which seems to have been deferred when he first arrives in Epidamnus, is prepared for and effectively carried through via the evolution of meta-plots. Keywords: Plautus, Menaechmi, poeta comicus, estrangement, marginalization, recognitio, reunion Plautus’ Menaechmi revolves around the young Menaechmus I, abducted as a child from Tarentum and now leading a seemingly normal life in Epidmamnus. He is married to a matrona dotata and enjoys a life of almost daily feasting with a courtesan (Erotium) and a parasite (Peniculus). However, Menaechmus I is henpecked by his domineering wife and is systematically exploited by Peniculus, his clients and the greedy meretrix. 1 Almost simultaneously, conditions ripen for the termination of this life, with Menaechmus I’s alienation from his familial and social milieu, and his eventual removal from the polis, thus offering a truly happy ending typical of Plautine 1 The Latin text and English translations of Plautus’ Menaechmi are quoted from the latest Loeb edition by De Melo, 2011. Here I wish to express my gratitude to David Konstan for his constructive criticism on an earlier version of this paper; to Ben Petre, Yannis Tzifopoulos and Niki Ikonomaki for helpful discussions; to the anonymous readers for their thought provoking comments and suggestions; and to Florence Klein for type editing. Last but not least, I would like to thank Jacqueline Fabre-Serris, General Editor of Dictynna, for her warm encouragement and support. Any errors remaining are my own. Leach 1969, 36 points out that Menaechmus of Epidamnus is doubly bound: to his wife and to his mistress Erotium. Also Segal 1987, 43, points out that “The Epidamnian twin is bound by innumerable ties, legal, financial, and social obligations, not to mention his marital bond to a shrewish wife who is constantly ‘on the job’”.