Roman comedy's amatores: young and old lovers in Plautus' Mercator

Studies of amatory themes in literature, from antiquity to modern times, have generally emphasised how the "language of love" relies on tropes and conventions, which oftentimes seem to make erotic poetry more a literary endeavour than a sincere expression of feelings. In this paper, I aim to analyse the prologue of Plautus' Mercator pointing out how the lover's discourse functions as a distinctive feature of being in love. Furthermore, I will contrast the behaviours displayed throughout the play by Charinus and Demiphon, drawing a few conclusions about love and humour in Roman comedy.