Publius Terentius Afer (; – ), better known in English as Terence (), was a
Roman African playwright during the
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kingd ...
. His comedies were performed for the first time around 166–160 BC. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman
senator, brought Terence to Rome as a slave, educated him and later on, impressed by his abilities,
freed him. It is thought that Terence abruptly died, around the age of 25, likely in Greece or on his way back to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, due to shipwreck or disease.
[ DEAD LINK] He was supposedly on his way to explore and find inspiration for his comedies. His plays were heavily used to learn to speak and write in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
and
Renaissance Period, and in some instances were imitated by
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
.
One famous quotation by Terence reads: "''Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto''", or "I am human, and I think nothing human is alien to me." This appeared in his play ''
Heauton Timorumenos''.
Biography
Terence's date of birth is disputed;
Aelius Donatus, in his incomplete ''Commentum Terenti'', considers the year 185 BC to be the year Terentius was born;
Fenestella, on the other hand, states that he was born ten years earlier, in 195 BC. Other scholars have also stated his birth to be in the year 190 BC. While no one knows for certain, it is likely that it occurred somewhere between the years of 195 BC and 185 BC.
Terence may have been born in or near
Carthage
Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the clas ...
or in
Greek Italy to a woman taken to Carthage as a slave. Terence's
cognomen ''Afer'' suggests he lived in the territory of the Libyan tribe called by the Romans
Afri near Carthage prior to being brought to Rome as a slave.
However, it is possible that ancient biographers' reports that Terence was born in Africa are an inference from his name and not independent biographical information.
This inference is based on the fact that the term was used in two different ways during the republican era. During Terence's lifetime, it was used to refer to non-Carthaginian
Berbers, with the term ''Punicus'' reserved for the Carthaginians. Subsequently, after the
destruction of Carthage in 146 BC, it was used to refer to anyone from the land of the ''Afri'' (that is, the ancient Roman
province of Africa, mostly corresponding to today's
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
and its surroundings). The cognomen ''Afer'' "
African">orthAfrican" may indicate that Terence hailed from
ancient Libya, and was therefore of
Berber descent. However, such names did not necessarily denote origin, and there were Romans who had this cognomen who were not Africans, such as
Domitius Afer. Consequently, it is not known with certainty whether Terence was given the cognomen ''Afer'' as denoting his origin, or if it was solely based on later bibliographers' reports based on the terminology of their day.
According to his traditional biography, he was sold to P. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman
senator, who educated him and later on, impressed by Terence's abilities,
freed him. Terence then took the
''nomen'' "Terentius," which is the origin of the present form.
Based on the writings of the Roman historian
Suetonius, Terence was described to be of "moderate height, slender, and of dark complexion," additionally leaving a daughter who subsequently went on to marry a Roman knight. Additionally, Terence was a member of the so-called
Scipionic Circle.
When he was about the age of 25, Terence travelled to
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...
to gather materials for his plays and never returned. It is mostly believed that Terence died during the journey, but this cannot be confirmed. Before his disappearance, he exhibited six comedies which are still in existence. According to some ancient writers, he died at sea due to shipwreck or disease. It is possible, however, that the fateful voyage to Greece was a speculative explanation of why he wrote so few plays inferred from Terence's complaint in ''Eunuchus'' 41–3 about the limited materials at his disposal.
Plays
Like
Plautus
Titus Maccius Plautus (; c. 254 – 184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest Latin literary works to have survived in their entirety. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the ...
, Terence adapted
Greek plays from the late phases of
Attic comedy
Ancient Greek comedy was one of the final three principal dramatic forms in the theatre of classical Greece (the others being tragedy and the satyr play). Athenian comedy is conventionally divided into three periods: Old Comedy, Middle Comedy, an ...
. Unlike Plautus though, Terence's way of writing his comedies was more in a simple conversational Latin, pleasant and direct, while less visually humorous to watch. It has also been said that Terence made better utilization of his plots than Plautus, and his purer language and characterizations in his comedies can be attributed to the lack of popularity during his day.
Aelius Donatus,
Jerome
Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is co ...
's teacher, is the earliest surviving commentator on Terence's work.
Terence's six plays are:
*
''Andria'' (''The Girl from Andros'') (166 BC)
::A young Athenian, Pamphilus, is in love with Glycerium, a foreign girl of low class, and has made her pregnant. But his father Simo wants him to marry the daughter of his friend Chremes. The wily slave Davus advises Pamphilus to agree to the marriage, believing that Chremes will object to it because of his affair with Glycerium, but the plan goes wrong when Chremes agrees to the marriage after all. Pamphilus is furious with Davus, and so is his friend Charinus, who is in love with the daughter. Simo is also furious since he believes that birth of Glycerium's baby and the sudden arrival of a stranger from Andros claiming that the girl is an Athenian citizen are all an elaborate ruse by Davus to prevent the wedding. The situation is saved when Chremes realises that Glycerium is his own long-lost daughter kidnapped as a child. The two young men get to marry the girls of their choice and Davus is rescued from punishment.
*
''Hecyra'' (''The Mother-in-Law'') (165 BC, but eventually performed in 160 BC)
::Laches' son, Pamphilus, has been made to marry Philumena, daughter of their neighbour Phidippus. At first he disdains her, because of his love for a courtesan, Bacchis, but gradually he grows to love her. But while he is away Philumena leaves their home and moves back to her father's house. Everyone blames the mother-in-law, Sostrata, or else his continuing love for Bacchis. But when Pamphilus returns he discovers that the real reason for her departure is that she is in labour with a child, the product of a rape before the wedding. Since Pamphilus believes the child is not his, he decides to divorce Philumena even though he still loves her. The situation is resolved when Philumena's mother Myrrina discovers through a ring which Pamphilus had given to his former girlfriend Bacchis that Pamphilus himself was the person who raped her. The gossipy slave Parmeno and the two fathers are kept in the dark about the rape.
*
''Heauton Timorumenos'' (''The Self-Tormentor'') (163 BC)
::An Athenian farmer, Chremes, asks his neighbour Menedemus why he works all day on his farm. Menedemus says he is punishing himself for allowing his anger over his son Clinia's love affair with a poor girl to push the boy into going abroad on military service; he misses him terribly. On returning home Chremes finds that Clinia has returned and is visiting Chremes' son Clitipho. The wily slave Syrus brings Clinia's girlfriend Antiphila to Chremes' house; but he also brings Clitipho's girlfriend, the expensive courtesan Bacchis. To conceal Clitipho's affair from Chremes, he says they will pretend that Bacchis is Clinia's girlfriend, and that Antiphila is one of Bacchis's servants. Later, when she sees Antiphila's ring, Clitipho's mother realises that Antiphila is her own daughter, whom Chremes had ordered to be exposed as a baby. Syrus tricks Chremes into sending Clitipho with 20 minae to pay Bacchis for Antiphila's release. But when Chremes learns that it is Clitipho who is in love with Bacchis, he is furious, especially at the thought of how much Bacchis will cost, and at first threatens to disinherit Clitipho. Eventually, however, he forgives him on condition that he agrees to marry a suitable girl at once. Clinia, meanwhile, is allowed to marry Antiphila. Syrus is also forgiven.
*
''Eunuchus'' (''The Eunuch'') (161 BC)
::A young man, Phaedria, is in love with a courtesan, Thais. He reluctantly agrees to leave town for a couple of days so that Thais can spend time with a rival lover, Thraso, who has promised to give her a certain slave girl who had previously been in her family. Before leaving town, Phaedria gives Thais an African maid and a eunuch. But while he is absent his 16-year-old brother Chaerea, at the suggestion of the slave Parmeno, disguises himself as the eunuch, gains access to Thais's house, and rapes the young girl, who is actually an Athenian citizen kidnapped in childhood. Thais's plans to restore the girl to her family are ruined. The situation is resolved when Chaerea begs Thais for forgiveness and offers to marry the girl himself. Phaedria gets to continue his affair with Thais, but is persuaded to share her with Thraso, who is richer than he is and can defray the expense of her upkeep. Parmeno, despite the gleeful predictions of Thais's maid Pythias, in the end escapes punishment.
* ''
Phormio'' (161 BC)
::While their fathers are away Antipho has fallen in love with a poor orphaned citizen, and his cousin Phaedria has fallen for a slave girl. Phormio, a parasite, has helped Antipho to marry the poor girl by making a false claim in court. When Antipho's father Demipho returns he is furious because he had wanted Antipho to marry his brother Chremes's daughter. Chremes agrees to pay Phormio 30 minae on condition that he removes the girl and marries her himself. Too late Chremes realises that the poor girl is his own daughter. He tries to undo the arrangement with Phormio, but Phormio has already paid the money to Phaedria to buy his slave girl. Phormio escapes punishment since Chremes' wealthy wife Nausistrata is furious not only about Chremes' secret second marriage but that he had been embezzling her money to pay for it. Antipho is allowed to keep his wife, Phaedria to keep his girlfriend, and Phormio is invited to dinner.
*
''Adelphoe'' (''The Brothers'') (160 BC)
::Micio, a wealthy Athenian bachelor, has brought up Aeschinus, the adopted elder son of his brother Demea, in town in an indulgent way. Meanwhile Demea has brought up his younger son Ctesipho in the village in a strict fashion. When Ctesipho falls in love with a slave-girl, Aeschinus on his behalf abducts the girl from the slave-dealer, Sannio, who owns her. Meanwhile, however, the widowed neighbour, Sostrata, alarmed that Aeschinus seems to have abandoned her daughter whom Aeschinus had made pregnant, sends her relative Hegio to complain to Micio, to Aeschinus's embarrassment. A rascally slave, Syrus, plays his part by negotiating with the slave-dealer, and by keeping Demea out of the way of Ctesipho by various ruses. When Demea at last finds Ctesipho and his girlfriend in Micio's house, he is furious and reproaches Micio for interfering in Ctesipho's upbringing. The situation is resolved when Demea takes control. Changing from strictness to indulgence, he suggests that they should forego Aeschinus's wedding procession and simply knock down down the dividing wall between the two houses; in addition he insists that Micio must marry Sostrata, give Syrus his freedom and some business capital, and grant Hegio an income from part of his land. Ctesipho is allowed to keep his music-girl.
The first printed edition of Terence appeared in
Strasbourg in 1470, while the first certain post-antique performance of one of Terence's plays, ''
Andria'', took place in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
in 1476. There is evidence, however, that Terence was performed much earlier. The short dialogue ''
Terentius et delusor
''Terentius et delusor'' is an anonymous poetical treatise, variously described as a dialogueSegal, 221. or spoken play,Dronke, ''Nine Medieval Latin Plays'', xvii. preserved only in fragments in a twelfth-century manuscript. It is the earliest e ...
'' was probably written to be performed as an introduction to a Terentian performance in the 9th century (possibly earlier).
Manuscripts of Terence
The manuscripts of Terence can be divided into two main groups. One group has just one representative, the
codex Bembinus (known as A), dating to the 4th or early 5th century AD, and kept in the Vatican library. This book, written in capital letters, is one of the earliest surviving manuscripts of any Latin writer. It has the plays in the order ''An., Eu., Hau., Ph., Hec., Ad.''
The second group, known as the "Calliopian" (since they seem to have been edited at some time by a certain Calliopus) all date from the 9th century onwards and are written in minuscule letters. This group can be subdivided into three classes. The first class, known as γ (''gamma''), dates to the 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries and includes manuscripts P (Parisinus), C (Vaticanus), and possibly F (Ambrosianus), and E (Riccardianus) among others. They have the plays in the order ''An., Eu., Hau., Ad., Hec., Ph.''. Manuscript C is the famous
Codex Vaticanus Latinus 3868
The Vatican Terence (Terentius Vaticanus), or Codex Vaticanus Latinus 3868, is a 9th-century illuminated manuscript of the Latin comedies of Publius Terentius Afer, housed in the Vatican Library. According to art-historical analysis the manuscrip ...
, which has illustrations which seem to be copied from originals dating in style to the mid-third century.
Another group, known as δ (''delta''), has the plays in alphabetical order: ''An., Ad., Eu., Ph.''(=F), ''Hau., Hec.'' This consists of 3 or 4 10th-century manuscripts: D (Victorianus), G (Decurtatus), p (Parisinus), and perhaps also L (Lipsiensis).
All the remaining manuscripts belong to the "mixed" group and contain readings copied from both γ and δ, and so are of little value in establishing the text.
It is thought that the γ group and the δ group go back to two archetypes, both now lost, called Γ (''Gamma'') and Δ (''Delta''), and that both of these were copied from a single archetype, also now lost, known as Σ (''sigma''). According to A. J. Brothers, manuscript A, although it contains some errors, generally has a better text than Σ, which has a number of changes designed perhaps to make Terence easier to read in schools. Both A and the now lost Σ are believed to be derived from an even earlier archetype known as Φ (''phi''), the date of which is unknown.
In addition to these manuscripts there are also certain commentaries, glossaries, and quotations in ancient writers and grammarians which sometimes assist editors in establishing the original reading. The best known of these is the , a commentary by the 4th-century grammarian
Aelius Donatus, which is often helpful, although the part dealing with the ''Heauton Timorumenos'' is missing.
Cultural legacy
Due to his clear and entertaining language, Terence's works were heavily used by monasteries and convents during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Although Terence's plays often dealt with pagan material, the quality of his language promoted the copying and preserving of his text by the church. Terence's popularity throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance is attested to by the numerous manuscripts containing part or all of his plays; the scholar
Claudia Villa Claudia may refer to:
People Ancient Romans
*Any woman from the Roman Claudia gens
*Claudia (vestal), a Vestal Virgin who protected her father Appius Claudius Pulcher in 143 BC
*Claudia Augusta (63–63 AD), infant daughter of Nero by his second ...
has estimated that no fewer than 650
manuscript
A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced ...
s containing Terence's work exist, dating from after AD 800. Priests and nuns often learned to speak Latin through reenactment of Terence's plays. The 10th-century German playwright
Hroswitha of Gandersheim claims to have written her plays so that learned men had a
Christian alternative to reading the pagan plays of Terence.
Pietro Alighieri states that his father
Dante took the title of his famous "Divine Comedy" from Terence's plays and in the 14th century
Giovanni Boccaccio copied out in his own hand all of Terence's ''Comedies'' in manuscripts that are now in the
Laurentian Library. The 16th-century reformer
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Luther ...
not only quoted Terence frequently to tap into his insights into all things human but also recommended his comedies for the instruction of children in school.
The preservation of Terence through the church enabled his work to influence much of later Western drama. Two of the earliest English comedies, the 16th-century ''
Ralph Roister Doister
''Ralph Roister Doister'' is a sixteenth-century play by Nicholas Udall, which was once regarded as the first comedy to be written in the English language.
The date of its composition is disputed, but the balance of opinion suggests that it wa ...
'' and ''
Gammer Gurton's Needle
John Still (c. 1543 – 26 February 1607/1608) was Master of two Cambridge colleges and then, from 1593, Bishop of Bath and Wells. He enjoyed considerable fame as an English preacher and disputant. He was formerly reputed to be the author of ...
'', are thought to parody Terence's plays.
Montaigne,
Shakespeare and
Molière cite and imitate him.
Terence's plays were a standard part of the Latin curriculum of the
neoclassical period.
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...
once wrote to
his son
His or HIS may refer to:
Computing
* Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company
* Honeywell Information Systems
* Hybrid intelligent system
* Microsoft Host Integration Server
Education
* Hangzhou International School, ...
, "Terence is remarkable, for good morals, good taste, and good Latin...His language has simplicity and an elegance that make him proper to be accurately studied as a model." American playwright
Thornton Wilder based his novel ''
The Woman of Andros
''The Woman of Andros'' is a 1930 novel by Thornton Wilder. Inspired by ''Andria'', a comedy by Terence, it was the third-best selling book in the United States in 1930.
The novel is set on the fictional Greek island of Brynos in the pre-Chr ...
'' on Terence's ''
Andria''.
Due to his cognomen Afer, Terence has long been identified with Africa and heralded as the first poet of the African diaspora by generations of writers, including
Juan Latino
Juan Latino (born Juan de Sessa; Ethiopia c. 1518 – Granada, c. 1594/1597) was a Spanish professor of Ethiopian descent at the University of Granada during the sixteenth century. He could be considered the first African who studied at a Europea ...
,
Phyllis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley Peters, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly ( – December 5, 1784) was an American author who is considered the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Gates, Henry Louis, ''Trials of Phillis Wheatley: Ameri ...
,
Alexandre Dumas,
Langston Hughes and
Maya Angelou. Two of his plays were produced in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
with black actors.
Questions as to whether Terence received assistance in writing or was not the actual author have been debated over the ages, as described in the 1911 edition of the ''
Encyclopædia Britannica
The ( Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various ...
:''
n a prologue to one of his plays, Terencemeets the charge of receiving assistance in the composition of his plays by claiming as a great honour the favour which he enjoyed with those who were the favorites of the Roman people. But the gossip, not discouraged by Terence, lived and throve; it crops up in Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the est ...
and Quintilian, and the ascription of the plays to Scipio had the honour to be accepted by Montaigne and rejected by Diderot.
See also
*
Translation
Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...
*
Metres of Roman comedy
*
Codex Vaticanus 3868
*
List of slaves
*
Roman Africans
* ''
Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi''
*
Trochaic septenarius In ancient Greek and Latin literature, the trochaic septenarius or trochaic tetrameter catalectic is one of two major forms of poetic metre based on the trochee as its dominant rhythmic unit, the other being much rarer trochaic octonarius. It is use ...
References
Further reading
* Augoustakis, A. and Ariana Traill eds. (2013). A Companion to Terence. ''Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World.'' Malden/Oxford/Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
* Boyle, A. J., ed. (2004). Special Issue: Rethinking Terence. ''Ramus'' 33:1–2.
* Büchner, K. (1974). ''Das Theater des Terenz''. Heidelberg: C. Winter.
* Davis, J. E. (2014). Terence Interrupted: Literary Biography and the Reception of the Terentian Canon. ''American Journal of Philology'' 135(3), 387–409.
* Forehand, W. E. (1985). ''Terence''. Boston: Twayne.
* Goldberg, S. M. (1986). ''Understanding Terence''. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
* Karakasis, E. (2005). ''Terence and the Language of Roman Comedy''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
* Papaioannou, S., ed. (2014). ''Terence and Interpretation. Pierides, 4.'' Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
* Pezzini, G. (2015). Terence and the Verb ‘To Be’ in Latin. ''Oxford Classical Monographs.'' Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press.
* Sharrock, A. (2009). Reading Roman Comedy: Poetics and Playfulness in Plautus and Terence. ''W.B. Stanford Memorial Lectures.'' Cambridge/New York: Cambridge University Press.
External links
*
The six plays of Terenceat
The Latin Library (in Latin).
*
*
*
* At
Perseus Digital Library:
*
''Andria''
*
''Hecyra''
*
''Heautontimorumenos''
*
''The Eunuch''
*
''Phormio''
*
''The Brothers''
15th-century scripts from Hecyra and Eunuchus Center for Digital Initiatives, University of Vermont Libraries.
Terence's works text, concordances and frequency list (in Latin).
* Donatus
Commentum Terenti, vol 1 Leipzig 1902.
''The Life of Terence'' part of
Suetonius's ''De Viris Illustribus'', translated by
John C. Rolfe.
* ''P. Terenti comoediae cum scholi Aeli Donati et Eugraphi commentariis'', Reinhold Klotz (ed.), Lipsiae, sumptum fecit, E. B. Schwickert, 1838
vol. 1vol. 2
, read in Latin by Matthew Dillon.
{{Authority control
2nd-century BC Berber people
2nd-century BC births
150s BC deaths
2nd-century BC Romans
2nd-century BC Latin writers
Ancient Roman comic dramatists
Berber writers
Old Latin-language writers
Republican era slaves and freedmen
Romans from Africa
Terentii
Deaths due to shipwreck at sea