[189]: For a discussion of the relation of Plautus to his originals, v.
Schuster, _Quomodo Plautus Attica exemplaria transtulerit_; LeGrand,
_Daos_, passim; Ostermayer, _de hist. fab. in com. Pl._;
Ritschl, _Par._ 271, etc. The efforts to distinguish Plautus from his
models have so far been fragmentary and abortive and will not advance
appreciably until a complete play that he adapted has been found. At any
rate, the discussion has no real bearing on our subject, since we can
consider only the plays as actually transmitted; their sources cannot
affect our argument. The comparisons in _Daos_ seem to indicate that
Plautus did not debase his originals so much as Mommsen, KArting, Schlegel
and others had thought. Even in 1881, Kiessling (_Anal. Plaut._ II.
9) boldly expresses the opinion: "Atque omnino Plautus multo pressius
Atticorum exemplarium vestigia secutus est quam hodie vulgo arbitrantur".
Cf. Kellogg in PAPA. XLIV (1913).

[190]: Euanthius, _de Com._ IV. 4.

[191]: For an interesting comparison of Plautus and Terence, v. Spengel,
_Aoeber die lateinische KomAdie_, (Munich 1878).

[192]: The importance of the music is indicated by the transmission of the
composer's name in all extant _didascaliae_, esp. those of Terence.
V. Klotz, _AltrAm. Met._ p. 384 ff.