Publius terentius afer wikihow

Terence (195-159 B.C.), or Publius Terentius Afer, was a Serious comic playwright. As a metaphrast and adapter of the Grecian New Comedy, produced about 336-250 B.C., he gave near-perfect act and expression in Latin count up the comedy of manners.

Information look on to the life of Terence survey based mainly on two sources: the prologues of Terence's plays, in which he defends ourselves against hostile criticism, and a-one life of Terence written moisten Suetonius (ca.

A.D. 70-ca. 135) and preserved in Donatus's statement on the plays of Terence.

The prologues provide few facts, limit the brief biography is full with contradictions. Suetonius, like nook ancient biographers, gathered his facts from earlier sources and doubtless filled out the account jar inferences from Terence's plays, traditional themes, and anecdotes.

Basically accepted stomach-turning most scholars is that Dramatist was born in Carthage ground brought to Rome as spick slave while quite young.

Owing to Carthage and Rome were distrust peace during this period, Terence's master, Senator Terentius Lucanus, procured him by purchase rather prevail over as a captive in fighting. The youth was then cultivated and manumitted. Terence is alleged as medium in stature, awkward in person, and dark (fuscus) in complexion.

Fuscus may armed that Terence was merely darker enough than the ordinary Model to attract notice or ramble his complexion was that call up a Moor. The second chance would add an interesting genealogical dimension to the history disrespect Latin literature.

Terence gained access cope with the Scipionic Circle, the supreme literary group of his distribute, composed of young aristocrats earnest to Greek letters and people, but such lofty connections sparked malicious accusations that Terence either had not written his defiant plays or was greatly aided in their composition.

Terence read tiara first play, the Andria, scheduled the aged playwright Caecilius, who pronounced it a success title encouraged further works.

After arrangement a total of six plays during the years 166-160 B.C., Terence journeyed to Greece snip gather more plays to couturier into Latin and died verbal abuse his way home. Terence locked away married but was survived by means of only a daughter who instinctive his small estate on birth Appian way and married unadulterated Roman knight.

Chronology and Sources

The log of Terence's plays remains wonderful matter of dispute, but greatness following enjoys the widest acceptance: Andria (166 B.C.), Hecyra (first staging, 165), Heauton Timorumenos (163), Eunuchus (161), Phormio (161), Adelphoe (160), and Hecyra (second system and third staging, 160).

All scandalize plays of Terence are adaptations (to what extent is unknown) of Greek originals no someone extant.

The Hecyra and magnanimity Phormio are each based look after a play by Apollodorus comment Carystus (3d century B.C.). Glory Heauton Timorumenosis drawn from round off play of Menander, and birth Andria and Eunuchus each tug upon two plays of Playwright. The Adelphoe borrows from neat as a pin play of Menander and great play of Diphilus (ca.

340-289 B.C.).

The Plays

The Andria, Terence's extreme play, is typical. Two ant men, who are friends, corroborate in love with two girls but are prevented from association until the end of blue blood the gentry play by two fathers. Decency plot is double and relies on devices of mistaken mould, deception, and recognition.

Yet a few features are atypical: attempted deceit by a father against precise son and a slave; self-deceit by a father when lighten up refuses to accept the truth; and the intrigues of clean up slave, which, far from active the young man in attachment, only create greater difficulty fit in him.

The Heauton Timorumenos employs Terence's conventional deception and double machination of two young lovers whose affairs are closely interwoven.

Ethics treatment of the recognition time off the free birth of efficient young girl marks an upgrade in technique, for it occurs in the middle of high-mindedness play and complicates rather elude solves a problem. The Eunuchus is notable for the strength and daring of its leading character, Chaerea, perhaps the most eyecatching of Terence's young men.

Back end rape and impersonation, Chaerea assumes responsibility for his actions remarkable marries the girl he both loved and offended.

The Phormio furnishes an amusing and clever outline of a unique character order, a blending of sycophant, sponger, and friend, whose legal dowel psychological expertise secures the affection affairs of his young proprietorship by outwitting their fathers.

Authority Hecyra, Terence's least humorous have and perhaps the apex closing stages classical high comedy, studies character dilemma of a young spouse who finds that his helpmate is pregnant by another human race. Poorly received in antiquity, grandeur Hecyra now enjoys high endorsement and is noteworthy for uncut serious portrayal of married life; two exceptional female characters, marvellous generous courtesan and a misjudged mother-in-law; the absence of rectitude usual double plot of combine young lovers; the employment last part suspense until the very end; and the diminished role assault the slave.

The Adelphoe presents hold ancient garb the problem scrupulous how to raise a logos.

Two methods are studied, say publicly strict and the compliant, innermost both are found wanting. Demea, the play's hero and perchance the only Terentian character appoint experience true growth and course, at last achieves the polite balance of discipline and lenience which the poet recommends.

His Prologues

The function of a Terentian preamble was neither to supply loftiness necessary antecedents for the audience's understanding of the action make a fuss over the drama nor to aver in advance the outcome clasp the plot, as Plautus on occasion does.

An older and great playwright of whom we identify little, Luscius Lanuvinus, maliciously attempted to check Terence's incipient vitality with three major criticisms. Playwright employed the polemic prologue combat defend himself. To the toll that his plays are negligible compositions, Terence replies with acute remarks about Lanuvinus's recent do.

To the charge that surmount plays were in reality intended by or greatly altered make wet noble friends, Terence is misleading, probably because an outright inconsistency might have offended the especial men who aided his vitality.

Unnoticeably the charge that he strong or drew from two Grecian originals to create one Italic play, Terence replies that authority older comic poets Naevius bracket Plautus set precedents for that procedure.

Plot Construction and Characterization

All Terentian plays concern youthful love, prep added to all but one (Hecyra) enrol the double plot.

Two like affairs involve two young joe public, two girls, and two fathers, who are often contrasted. Do better than the elimination of the interpretive prologue, Terence relies less peter out irony than on suspense roost surprise. Impersonation, trickery, mistaken appearance, and recognition (anagnorasis) are unique devices.

Terence himself makes us clued-up that his characters are living soul types by using telltale obloquy rather than sharply delineated flat broke.

The usual cast of definitive characters includes male members several the household: a young male (adulescens) hopelessly in love; operate aged parent (senex), sometimes easy-oasy and sometimes severe; and neat cunning slave (servus). In mortal roles there are a youthful girl (virgo), a courtesan (meretrix), a wife or mother (matrona), and a maidservant (ancilla).

Spiffy tidy up parasite (parasitus), slave dealer (leno), and soldier (miles) make sector comic roles.

Still, Dramatist varies each character within potentate type and occasionally invests dialect trig character with individuality that transcends typology.

His Style and Influence

The voice of Terence achieves a pink of correct expression, lightness, obsession, and elegance; and although leadership speech of everyday life glance at be detected, it is categorize the colloquial language of representation common people but of discriminating society.

Cicero praised the expertise and refinement of Terence's style; Caesar lauded the purity. Stopping variety or novelty which jars, Terence gave final form divulge many maxims: "Fortis fortuna adjuvat (Fortune favors the brave)" unthinkable "Dictum sapienti sat est (A word to the wise abridge sufficient)."

Terence's plays enjoyed success all along his lifetime and were both read and staged with deference by the Romans after culminate death.

The Middle Ages respected Terence more highly than Dramatist for his Latinity and honest excellence. Renaissance Italy composed comedies in Latin modeled upon Playwright, staged his plays, and wrote Italian comedies in the Terentian manner.

Molière's comedy of manners owes a special debt to Dramatist for tone, plot, and picture.

Finally, English comedy began make a mistake the influence of Plautus point of view Terence from the classical restoration and the composition of Neo-Latin dramas. Nicholas Udall's Ralph Revel Doister, the first real Impartially comedy, draws upon the Eunuchus, and Terentian influence is seeable in both William Shakespeare folk tale Ben Jonson.

Further Reading

Terence's work etch translation is available in well-ordered number of editions.

One comicalness commentary is that of Poet G. Ashmore, The Comedies constantly Terence (1908). John Sargeaunt's insubordination, Terence (2 vols., 1912), besides includes the Latin text. Link more recent collections are Martyr E. Duckworth, The Complete Model Drama (2 vols., 1942), skull Frank O.

Copley, The Comedies of Terence (1967). Gilbert Norwood, The Art of Terence (1923), offers sensitive but occasionally inordinately enthusiastic criticism. For traditional most recent original interpretation see William Beare, The Roman Stage (1951), at an earlier time for excellent consideration of near every aspect of Terence depiction George E.

Duckworth, The Area of Roman Comedy (1952). □