Show Synopsis:
In Ancient Rome, Senex and his wife Domina leave their slave Pseudolus in charge of their son Hero while they travel, and Pseudolus offers Hero help at winning Philia's heart in exchange for his freedom. Philia is one of Lycus's prostitutes, and engaged to be married to the warrior Miles Gloriosus. Pseudolus tricks Lycus into letting Philia stay at Senex's house for awhile, and although she falls in love with Hero, she wants to honor her engagement. As Pseudolus and Hero concoct a plan to steal Philia away, Senex comes home early and Philia mistakes him for the Captain, who she has never met. Pseudolus convinces Senex that Philia is a new maid and hides her from Miles, then impersonates Lycus and offers to find her for Miles. Domina arrives back at her house in disguise, convinced that Senex is being unfaithful to her, and a massive chase ensues when Pseudolus tells Miles that Philia is dead from a plague in Crete that he knew did not exist. Miles's soldiers sort everything out, and Senex and Lycus's neighbor Erronius, who has been looking for his longlost children, realizes that Miles and Philia are in fact his song and daughter. Because they cannot be married, Philia marries Hero, Pseudolus gets his freedom, and Senex is stuck with Domina.

Character:
Philia, a beautiful, young, and inexperienced prostitute; not very bright.

Song Context:
Philia brainstorms how to keep her love with Hero alive if she marries the Captain, though Hero is not very enthused with the plan she comes up with.

Fun Facts:
1) This musical is loosely based on a few of Plautus's farces: Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus, and Mostellaria. 
2) In an early version of the musical, Philia is caught between her love for Hero and sense of family duty and prays to the gods, who answer her?because they are actually voiced by Hero. 
3) Preshy Marker made her Broadway debut originating the role of Philia on Broadway.