The play opens with Menedemus exhausting himself with relentless farm labor, tormented by guilt after his harshness drove his son Clinia into self-imposed exile abroad. Upon Clinia's secret return to Attica, he is sheltered by his friend Clitipho, the son of their neighbor Chremes. Clinia's beloved, Antiphila, is soon fetched to join him, accompanied unexpectedly by Bacchis, an extravagant courtesan who is actually Clitipho's secret mistress. To prevent Chremes from discovering Clitipho's indiscretion, the servants concoct a complex deception, pretending Bacchis belongs to Clinia while Antiphila is merely her humble attendant.
Meanwhile, Syrus, the clever family servant, plots to extract money from the notoriously practical Chremes to satisfy Bacchis's mounting financial demands, spinning an elaborate tale about a Corinthian debt and a pledged captive. Complications multiply when a ring discovered in Bacchis's possession proves that Antiphila is actually Sostrata and Chremes's long-lost daughter, who had been exposed as an infant in obedience to Chremes's past commands. As the various deceptions collide, Chremes discovers the true nature of Clitipho's involvement with Bacchis, leading to righteous parental anger and the threat of severe discipline. Through clever maneuvering and reconciliation, the fathers ultimately forgive their sons, marriages are sanctioned, and the domestic equilibrium is restored.
