The most beloved hero of Greek myths was Hercules, a powerful worker who saved the gods from death, and people from terrible monsters, but who didn’t acquire either kingdom or happiness for himself. The Greeks composed about him first songs, then tragedies, then comedies. One of such comedies came to us in the Latin processing of Plaut.
Actually, Hercules himself is not yet on stage here. It is still only about his birth. The god Zeus himself from the mortal woman Alkmena should conceive him. For the hero-savior to become mighty of the mighty, long work is needed - therefore Zeus orders the Sun not to rise three days so that he has at his disposal a triple night. Zeus is not the first to descend with love for earthly women, but here is a special case. Alkmena has a husband, the commander Amphitrion. She is a woman not only beautiful, but also virtuous: she will never change her husband for anything. So, Zeus must appear to her, taking the form of her legal husband. Amphitrione. And so that the real Amphitrion does not interfere, Zeus takes with him the cunning god Hermes, the messenger of the gods, who on this occasion takes the form of an Amphitrion slave named Sosiah. The play by Plautus is Latin, therefore the mythological heroes are renamed to the Roman way: Zeus is Jupiter, Hermes is Mercury, Hercules is Hercules.
The play begins with a prologue: Mercury enters the stage. “I am Mercury, Jupiter and I have come to show you the tragedy. Do not want a tragedy? Nothing, I’m God - I will turn it into a comedy! Here, on the stage, is the city of Thebes, King Amphitrion went on a campaign, and left his wife at home. Here Jupiter visited her, and I was on guard with him: he is in the form of Amphitrion, I - in the form of a slave. But right now, both the real Amphitrion and the real slave are returning from the campaign - you need to be on your guard. And here is the slave! ”
Sosiah enters with a flashlight in his hands. He is funny - the war is over, victory is won, prey is captured. Only the night around is strange: the moon and stars do not rise, do not set, but stand still. And in front of the royal house is someone strange. "Who are you?" “I am Sosiah, the slave of Amphitrion!” - “You're lying, it's me Sosia, slave of Amphitrion!” “I swear by Jupiter, Sosia is me!” - “I swear by Mercury, Jupiter will not believe you!” Word for word, it comes to a fight, Mercury’s fists are heavier, Sosia retreats, racking her brain: “Am I this or not me?” And on time: Jupiter just leaves the house in the form of Amphitrion, and with him Alkmena. He says goodbye, she holds him; he says: “It’s time for me to join the army, because I only secretly came home for one night so that you would hear from us about our victory first. Here is a goodbye to you a golden cup from our booty, and wait for me, I'll be back soon! ” “Sooner than you think!” - remarks to himself Mercury.
The night ends, the sun rises, and the real Amphitrion appears with the real Sosia. Sosia tells him that there is a second Sosia sitting in the house, he talked to him and even fought; Amphitrion does not understand anything and swears: "You were drunk, and doubled in your eyes, that's all!" Alkmena sits at the doorstep and sings sadly about separation and longing for her husband. How, here is the husband? “How glad I am that you are back so soon!” “Why soon?” the trip was long, I haven’t seen you for several months! ” - "What are you saying! haven't you just been with me and just left? ” The debate begins: which of them is lying or which of them is crazy? And both summon the ill-fated Sosia as witnesses, and his head goes round. “Here is a golden cup from your booty; you yourself just gave it to me!” - “It cannot be, it was someone who stole it from me!” “Who, then?” - “Yes, your lover, lecherous!” - swears Amphitrion. He threatens his wife with a divorce and leaves for witnesses to confirm: at night he was not at home, but with the army.
Jupiter watches these quarrels from its sky - from the second tier of the theater building. He is sorry for Alkmen, he comes down - of course, again in the form of Amphitrion - reassures her: "It was all a joke." As soon as she agrees to forgive him, a real Amphitrion appears on the threshold with a witness. First, Mercury-Sosia drives him away, and Amphitrion is beside himself: how, does a slave not let his own master into the house? Then Jupiter himself comes out - and as two Sosia collided at the beginning of the comedy, so now the two Amphitrion collide, showering each other with abuse and accusing them of adultery. Finally, Jupiter disappears with thunder and lightning, Amphitrion falls without feelings, and at Alkmena, childbirth begins in the house.
Everything ends happily. To the unfortunate Amphitrion a good servant runs out - the only one who recognizes and recognizes him. "Wonders! She tells him. - The birth was without any pain, twins were born right away, one was a boy like a boy, and the other was so big and heavy, they barely put him in the cradle. Then out of nowhere two huge snakes appear, crawling to the cradle, all in horror; and a big boy, even though he was a newborn, gets up to meet them, grabs them by the throats and strangles them to death. ” “Truly a miracle!” - Amphitrion came to himself in wonder. And here above him in height is Jupiter, finally in its present divine form. “I shared this with Alkmena’s bed,” he turns to Amphitrion, “the eldest of the twins is mine, the younger is yours, and your wife is clean, she thought I was you.” This son is mine, and your stepson will be the greatest hero in the world - rejoice! ” “I am happy,” Amphitrion answers and addresses the public: “We pat Jupiter!”
