Introduces three of Terence's most entertaining and widely read plays

"Terence (?184-159 B.C.) was the outstanding comic playwright of his generation at Rome and one of the founding fathers of European comic drama. All six of his plays survive. This new translation with introduction and explanatory notes aims to be both accurate and idiomatic, and to convey the liveliness of the plays as pieces written for the theatre."--BOOK JACKET.

Terence (?184-159 BC) was the outstanding comic playwright of his generation at Rome and one of the founding fathers of European comic drama. His plays have been imitated by authors as diverse as the nun Hrothswitha in the tenth century and P. G. Wodehouse in the twentieth. They deal with the love-life of adolescent boys and with associated tensions in their relations with their fathers. They show love triumphing over obstacles of various kinds, and they also portray the problems that arise from ignorance, misunderstanding, and prejudice. They are true to universal elements of human experience, and audiences today can readily engage with the issues they raise. This new translation with introduction and explanatory notes aims to convey the liveliness of the plays as pieces written for the theatre.

PIERIDES IV This volume examines interpretation as the original process of critical reception vis-a-vis Terence’s experimental comedies. The book, which consists of two parts, looks at Terence as both an agent and a subject of interpretation. The First Part (‘Terence as Interpreter’) examines Terence as an interpreter of earlier literary traditions, both Greek and Roman. The Second Part (‘Interpretations of Terence’) identifies and explores different expressions of the critical reception of Terence’s output. The papers in both sections illustrate the various expressions of originality and individual creative genius that the process of interpretation entails. The volume at hand is the first study to focus not only on the interpreter, but also on the continuity and evolution of the principles of interpretation. In this way, it directs the focus from Terence’s work to the meaning of Terence’s work in relation to his predecessors (the past literary tradition), his contemporaries (his literary antagonists, but also his audience), and posterity (his critical readers across the centuries).

A comprehensive collection of essays by leading scholars in the field that address, in a single volume, several key issues in interpreting Terence offering a detailed study of Terence’s plays and situating them in their socio-historical context, as well as documenting their reception through to present day • The first comprehensive collection of essays on Terence in English, by leading scholars in the field • Covers a range of topics, including both traditional and modern concerns of gender, race, and reception • Features a wide-ranging but interconnected series of essays that offer new perspectives in interpreting Terence • Includes an introduction discussing the life of Terence, its impact on subsequent studies of the poet, and the question of his ethnicity

'I thought you'd do what the common run of slaves normally do, cheating and tricking me because my son's having an affair.' Terence's comedies have provided plots and characters for comic drama from classical times to the present; the outstanding comic playwright of his generation at Rome, he has influenced authors from Molière and Wycherley to P. G. Wodehouse. Scheming slaves, parasites, prostitutes, pimps, and boastful soldiers populate his plays, which show love triumphing over obstacles of various kinds, and the problems that arise from ignorance, misunderstanding, and prejudice. Although they reflect contemporary tensions in Roman society, their insights into human nature and experience make them timeless in their appeal. Peter Brown's lively new translation does full justice to Terence's style and skill as a dramatist. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Provides a comprehensive critical engagement with Roman comedy and its reception presented by leading international scholars in accessible and up-to-date chapters.