Truculentus by Plautus. Short summary

5 seconds

Hetera meets 3 lovers at once, from whom she deceives and draws gifts. She deceives one of them by saying that he is the father of her child. In fact, Hetera has stolen the baby from the man’s mistress.

1 minute

The cunning hetaera meets three lovers at once. She flatters them in order to lure them away with gifts. She tells one of the men that he is the father of her child. After a while it turns out that the child she passed off as her own is someone else’s. Hetera has stolen it from a girl who was the mistress of the man she was deceiving.

When the hero learns the truth, he marries the one who was the real mother of his child. The two remaining men agree that they will take turns visiting the hetaera, and she will be their common mistress.

The hetaera says that the women in her trade must smile at everyone, give affectionate speeches, and rip the men off. They are like thorns, capable of wounding anyone who touches them. If a man does not bring a gift, you should not have to listen to his apologies, you should chase him away right away.