Le formule proibitive in uso nel latino arcaico e i personaggi dell’Amphitruo

This article seeks to outline how the characters in Plautus’ Amphitruo communicate and relate with each other, by observing which prohibitive formulas they use. In order to achieve this, the different kinds of prohibitive formulas used in Early Latin have been analysed and compared, looking not only at Plautine comedy, but also at other texts of the period. The first part concentrates on the prohibitive formulas used in the dialogues between Alcmena and her double husband, where Alcmena uses noli + infinitive whereas Jupiter and Amphytrion use ne + imperative. Subsequently, this analysis is complemented with a discussion of the other kinds of prohibitive formulas adopted by the various characters in the Amphitruo: ne/cave + present subjunctive and ne/cave + perfect subjunctive.