In Plautus's play Amphitryon, Sosia is Amphitryon's slave. At one point in the play, the god Mercury disguises himself as Sosia and when the real Sosia appears, the god beats him up and sends him packing. The poor guy is totally baffled from being accosted by his own doppelgänger. If I understand correctly, this scene has led, in Italian and Spanish, to the name "Sosia" becoming a byword for someone's double.
It's interesting that the Roman theater has had so little impact on English.
spanish definition 1. m. Persona que tiene parecido con otra hasta el punto de poder ser confundida con ella. (De Sosias, personaje de la comedia Anfitrión, de Plauto)
In Plautus's play Amphitryon, Sosia is Amphitryon's slave. At one point in the play, the god Mercury disguises himself as Sosia and when the real Sosia appears, the god beats him up and sends him packing. The poor guy is totally baffled from being accosted by his own doppelgänger. If I understand correctly, this scene has led, in Italian and Spanish, to the name "Sosia" becoming a byword for someone's double.
It's interesting that the Roman theater has had so little impact on English.
Oh! Someone did it before me!
Edit: for those who can't understand Spanish: Spanish and Italian word meaning "look-alike" (from the character of Plautus' comedy Amphitruo)
I KNOW!
spanish definition 1. m. Persona que tiene parecido con otra hasta el punto de poder ser confundida con ella. (De Sosias, personaje de la comedia Anfitrión, de Plauto)