Electronic Analysis of Plautine Verse: Results and Perspectives

Abstract

The metre of the Roman comic poet Plautus (ca. 250-184 B.C.) continues to leave scholars mystified. Although the scientific analyses in the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries have established a number of important rules and licenses, the exact range of these laws and licenses remains a matter of debate. The present paper illustrates the complexity of Plautine metre and shows how the use of electronic tools (databases, automatic scanning and analysis of verses) may help to solve these problems and provide a new basis for the study of Plautus’ versification.