Three Of The Comedies Of Terence Andria Adelphi And Phormio Literally Tr With Explanatory Notes

Author : Publius Afer
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781540658425
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (584 download)

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Download or read book The Comedies of Terence written by Publius Afer and published by . This book was released on 2017-01-01 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Roman comedy writer, Terence, was of African descent. He was brought to Rome as a slave by the Roman Senator, Terentius Lucanus, who gave him a good education and finally freed him. The success of his first play, staged in 166 B.C. gave him the opportunity of introduction into the most refined society in Rome. Here his engaging manners and accomplishments made him a prime favorite.Terence's dramatic work was of two kinds: fairly close translations of the later Greek comedy writers, especially Menander; and "contaminations" which is the term used in referring to an amalgamation of all or parts of two or more Greek dramas into a Romanized whole. By some happy chance six of Terence's comedies were preserved through the Dark Ages and later were studied by some of the greatest playwrights, particularly by Moli�re. The extant plays are: Andria, Hecyra, Heautontimoroumenos, Eunuchus, Phormio, and Adelphi. The latter play, probably a sort of rehash of both Diphilus and Menander, is best known.Excerpt from "The Comedies of Terence:Why are you going to destroy yourself?" Then she, so that you might easily recognize their habitual attachment, weeping, threw herself back upon him-- how affectionately!SOS. What do you say?SIM. I returned thence in anger, and hurt at heart: and yet there was not sufficient ground for reproving him. He might say; "What have I done? How have I deserved this, or offended, father? She who wished to throw herself into the flames, I prevented; I saved her." The defense is a reasonable one.SOS. You judge aright; for if you censure him who has assisted to preserve life, what are you to do to him who causes loss or misfortune to it?SIM. Chremes comes to me next day, exclaiming: "Disgraceful conduct!" that he had ascertained that Pamphilus was keeping this foreign woman as a wife. I steadfastly denied that to be the fact. He insisted that it was the fact. In short, I then left him refusing to bestow his daughter.