The Student's Companion to Latin Authors. Thomas Ross Mills
quae te lactat largitas?’
Terence died B.C. 159, on his way home from Greece, where he had probably gone the year before. The place of his death is uncertain. Whatever plays he may have written while in Greece are lost.
Sueton. ibid. p. 32, ‘Post editas comoedias, nondum quintum atque vicesimum ingressus annum, causa vitandae opinionis qua videbatur aliena pro suis edere, seu percipiendi Graecorum instituta moresque quos non perinde exprimeret in scriptis, egressus urbe est neque amplius rediit. … Q. Cosconius redeuntem e Graecia perisse in mari dicit cum fabulis conversis a Menandro: ceteri mortuum esse in Arcadia sive Leucadiae tradunt, Cn. Cornelio Dolabella M. Fulvio Nobiliore coss., morbo implicatum ex dolore ac taedio amissarum sarcinarum quas in nave praemiserat, ac simul fabularum quas novas fecerat.’
Terence’s personal appearance is mentioned by Sueton. p. 33, who also states that he had property, and left a daughter who afterwards married a Roman knight. ‘Fuisse dicitur mediocri statura, gracili corpore, colore fusco. Reliquit filiam, quae post equiti Romano nupsit: item hortulos xx. iugerum via Appia ad Martis.’
(2) WORKS.
1. Andria.—The particulars of its production are given above. Of its success, Donatus in his commentary says, ‘Successu adspecta prospero hortamento poetae fuit ad alias conscribendas.’ The didascalia to the Andria is lost, but we can restore it as follows from Donatus’ information, ‘Incipit Andria Terenti. Acta ludis Megalensib. M. Fulvio M’ Glabrione aedil. curul. Egit L. Ambivius Turpio.[19] Modos fecit Flaccus Claudi. Tibis paribus tota. Graeca Menandru. Facta i. M. Marcello C. Sulpicio cos.’
The meaning of the didascalia is as follows: The piece was produced at the Megalesian games (held at the beginning of April) under the curule aediles mentioned; L. Ambivius Turpio undertook the representation; the music was composed (as in all Terence’s comedies) by Flaccus, slave of Claudius, and given throughout tibiis paribus.[20] The Greek original was by Menander; it was the first work of Terence, and the year of production was B.C. 166.
The play is adapted from Menander’s Ἀνδρία with additions from his Περινθία. Andr. prol. 13,
‘Quae convenere in Andriam ex Perinthia
fatetur transtulisse atque usum pro suis.’
The prologue dates from the first performance, though Wagner and Ribbeck have inferred from l. 5,
‘Nam in prologis scribundis operam abutitur,’
that it was written for a second representation, possibly in B.C. 164. There are two endings to the play; the shorter one is genuine, the longer spurious, and omitted in the best MSS.
2. Heauton Timorumenos is from Menander’s Ἡαυτὸν τιμωρούμενος, ‘self tormentor.’ The title is referred to in l. 146,
‘hic me exerceo,’
l. 81,
‘An quoiquamst usus homini, se ut cruciet?’
and prol. 5,
‘Ex integra Graeca integram comoediam
hodie sum acturus Heauton timorumenon.’
The play was produced at the Ludi Megalenses in B.C. 163, as is seen from the didascalia, ‘Incipit Heauton Timorumenos Terenti. Acta ludis Megalensib. L. Cornelio Lentulo L. Valerio Flacco aedilib. curulib. Egit Ambivius Turpio. Modos fecit Flaccus Claudi. Acta primum tibis inparib., deinde duabus dextris. Graeca Menandru. Facta ii. M’ Iuventio Ti. Sempronio cos.’
The play is called ‘stataria’ in prol. 36,
‘Date potestatem mihi
statariam agere ut liceat per silentium.’
3. Eunuchus, ‘contaminated’ from Menander’s Εὐνοῦχος and his Κόλαξ. Eun. prol. 19,
‘Nunc acturi sumus
Menandri Eunuchum’;
ibid. 30,
‘Colax Menandrist: in east parasitus colax
et miles gloriosus: eas se non negat
personas transtulisse in Eunuchum suam
ex Graeca: sed eas ab aliis factas prius
Latinas scisse sese, id vero pernegat.’
The didascalia shows that the piece was produced at the Ludi Megalenses in B.C. 161, and from the MSS. we may conclude that it was also acted in B.C. 146. The didascalia is, ‘Incipit Eunuchus Terenti. Acta ludis Megalensib. L. Postumio Albino L. Cornelio Merula aedilib. curulib. Egit Ambivius Turpio. Modos fecit Flaccus Claudi. Tibis duabus dextris tota. Graeca Menandru. Facta iii. M. Valerio C. Fannio cos.’
Sueton. vit. Ter. p. 29, speaks of the success of the play, ‘Eunuchus quidem his deinceps acta est meruitque pretium quantum nulla antea cuiusquam comoedia, octo milia nummum.’
4. Phormio, the fifth comedy Terence composed, and the fourth completely represented. It was first performed at the Ludi Romani, B.C. 161. The Greek original was the Ἐπιδικαζόμενος of Apollodorus of Carystus. Phorm. prol. 24,
‘Adporto novam
Epidicazomenon quam vocant comoediam
Graeci, Latini Phormionem nominant,
quia primas partis qui aget, is erit Phormio
parasitus, per quem res geretur maxume,’
The didascalia is, ‘Incipit Terenti Phormio. Acta ludis Romanis. L. Postumio Albino L. Cornelio Merula aedilib. curulib. Egit L. Ambivius Turpio. Modos fecit Flaccus Claudi. Tibis imparib. tota. Graeca Apollodoru Epidicazomenos. Facta iiii. C. Fannio M. Valerio cos.
From notices in the MSS. it is probable that a second representation took place in B.C. 141 at the Megalesian games.
5. Hecyra is founded on a play by Apollodorus of Carystus, doubtless called Ἡκυρά; cf. Donatus’ preface, ‘fabula Apollodori dicitur esse Graeca.’ The first attempted representation was in B.C. 165, at the Ludi Megalenses. Hec. prol. i. 1,
‘Hecyra quom datast
nova, ei novom intervenit vitium et calamitas,
ut neque spectari neque cognosci potuerit:
ita populus studio stupidus in funambulo
animum occuparat.’
The second (unsuccessful) representation was at the ludi funerales of Aemilius Paulus in B.C. 160. Hec. prol. ii. 38,
‘Refero denuo.
Primo actu placeo. Quom interea rumor venit
datum iri gladiatores, populus convolat,
tumultuantur clamant pugnant de loco:
ego interea meum non potui tutari locum.’
Cf. Phorm. prol. 31,
‘Ne simili utamur fortuna, atque usi sumus
quom per tumultum noster grex motus locost.’
The first prologue was written for the second performance; the second (spoken by the actor Ambivius) for the third performance, also in B.C. 160. The didascalia is, ‘Incipit Terenti Hecyra. Acta ludis Megalensib. S. Iulio Caesare Cn. Cornelio Dolabella aedilib. curulib. Egit L. Ambivius Turpio. Modos fecit Flaccus Claudi. Tibis paribus tota. Graeca Apollodoru. Facta v. Cn. Octavio T. Manlio cos. Relata est L. Aemelio Paulo ludis funeralib. Non est placita. Tertio relata est Q. Fulvio L. Marcio aedilib. curulib.’
6. Adelphoe is founded on Menander’s Ἀδελφοί with a scene added from Diphilus’ Συναποθνῄσκοντες. Adelph. prol. 6,
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