Plautus, Marcus Accius, a comic writer of ancient Rome, born in Umbria, a province of Italy. His proper name was Marcus Accius, and he is supposed to have acquired the surname of Plautus from having played feet. His parentage appears to have been mean; so that some have thought he was the son of a slave. Aulus Gellius says that Plautus was distinguished for his poetry on the theatre, and Cato for his eloquence in the forum, at the same time; and observes elsewhere from Varro, that he was so well paid for his plays as to double his stock in trading, in which he lost all he gained by the muses. He is said to have been reduced to work at a mill for his subsistence; but Varro adds, that his wit was his best support, as he composed three of his plays during this drudgery. He died in the first year of the elder Cato's censorship, about the year of Rome 569, and 184 before Christ. We have 20 of his plays extant, though not all of them entire. Five of them comedies, have been elegantly translated into English by Mr B. Thornton, and published in 2 vols 8vo, 1767.

Plays. See the following article.