| Smiling Slaves |
There is no doubt that slaves were present
at these plays, whether spectators themselves, attending to their masters or working within the production, and would have been exposed to the antics
of the sly slave (Richlin 2014, 204). The character
probably provided an outlet through which to vent
their emotions vicariously and silently reassert their
independence. Trickster tales usually embody a story of the weaker besting the stronger, understandably enjoyed by dominated people and incorporated
into their folk tales. Insider gossip can be seen as a
powerful tool of the slave, and the fast-talking comic slave is the ultimate expression of this. Even
inadvertently, Plautus’ plays humanised slaves by
showing them interacting with other slaves (Capt.
198-205), lamenting their relentless beatings (Poen.
129-139) and resenting their master (Ps. 471-473).
It is unlikely that the Plautine comedies were composed with the reception of slaves in the audience in
mind, but theatre is experienced uniquely by every
individual and it is perfectly credible that oppressed
slaves in the audience held this rebellious slave in
admiration.
Conclusion
The power of comedy in society is often overlooked, with ancient comedy paling next to its “nobler
sister” of tragedy, in the same way that archaeology
is sometimes seen as the “handmaiden” of history
next to historical texts. In turn, archaeologists can
operate on the assumption that the material record
will reveal the truth of oppressed groups or “those
without history”, ignoring the embedded nature
of slavery in every aspect of society, including its
preserved writings. Though approaching from an
archaeological standpoint, I strived to utilise both
the material and written evidence in order to formulate valid social theories. Archaeology should not be
framed in a text-free zone and vice versa, and this
mode of study is especially effective when dealing
with a subject that suffers from a dearth of evidence
like slavery (Moreland 2001, 11, 94-95).
Arising from a Dionysian milieu, clever
slave imagery was considered appropriate in domestic, religiou ́