The Plays of Terence

Publius Terentius Afer (195/185-159 BC), better known in English as Terence, was a playwright of the Roman Republic of North African descent. His comedies were performed for the first time around 170-160 BC. A Roman senator, brought Terence to Rome as a slave, educated him and later on, impressed by his abilities, freed him. Terence apparently died young, probably in Greece or on his way back to Rome. All of the six plays Terence wrote have survived. His style offers a unique insight into the colloquial Latin of the classical era.