Titus Maccius Plautus was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period whose comedies are among the earliest Latin literary works to have survived in their entirety. He is believed to have written over 100 plays, of which 21 have been preserved, including famous works like Miles Gloriosus, Pseudolus, and Aulularia. His works are known for their witty dialogue, farcical situations, and masterful use of stock characters like the braggart soldier and the clever slave. Plautus's comedic structures and character archetypes strongly influenced later European playwrights, including William Shakespeare and Molière.