The contemporary society depicted in The Pot of Gold by Plautus is rigidly hierarchical, one in which rich men are firmly in control and women and slaves occupy a subordinate position.

It says something about this society that a man as foolish as Euclio is able to treat his daughter and slaves however he pleases simply by virtue of his status as a rich man. Here, intelligence and good character play little if any part in determining one's place in the social pecking order.

The values of this society are those of its elite. And this elite, as seen in the actions of Euclio and Megadorus, has a pretty warped value system, to say the least. This is illustrated by their attitude towards Euclio's daughter Phaedria, whom they regard as little more than a piece of property to be bought and sold at their convenience.

As we might expect, enslaved people are treated no better. Euclio has no moral qualms about beating those he enslaves and regarding them with constant suspicion. What's particularly shocking about this attitude is that it is by no means unusual in this society; in fact, it's the norm. Enslaved people have no rights and are treated as completely expendable. Though the people Euclio enslaves are wily and cunning, that still doesn't change the fact that they're entirely at his mercy.