The Braggart Soldier

Palaestrio enters. The soldier’s elderly neighbor, Periplectomenus, comes from his house while shouting at his slaves. The old man complains to the audience, “Now my neighbors see the show of all that happens in my house— – looking right down through my skylight!” (5). Periplectomenus orders his servants that, should they see anyone from the soldier’s household other than Palaestrio, they must “throw ‘em down into the street! Should they claim to be pursuing monkeys, pigeons or the like, [y]You’ll be finished if you don’t just pound and pummel ‘em to a pulp!” (6). Periplectomenus informs Palaestrio that one of the soldier’s slaves was caught spying on the old man’s house through his skylight, which refers to the atrium, a room in the center of a Roman house with a glazed glass roof that would allow light as well as prying eyes. The servant claimed that he was on the roof trying to catch an escaped pet monkey, but Periplectomenus worries that the man spotted Philocomasium, the kidnapped courtesan, who was kissing her secret lover.

Palaestrio advises PeripletomenusPeriplectomenus to send Philocomasium back to the soldier’s house quickly so that the servants can see her there.