Product Description

Terence's Brothers was put on at Rome in 160 BC. when 'captive Greece was capturing her ruffian conqueror and bringing style to barnyard Latium', when Cato the Elder, still vigorous at 74, was defending 'the ways of our Roman ancestors' with pen and voice, and fourteen years before the destruction of Carthage and Corinth which marked a new epoch in Roman history. It is the latest surviving example of the 'Greek-style Comedy' (Comoedia palliata), and for sustained verve, variety, characterization, and substance it is perhaps the most accomplished of the genre as we know it, as well as a document of the blending of Greek and Roman not yet quite complete. The play deals with a perennial domestic problem how fathers should relate to teenage children and raises the wider question of ends and means in education. Menander's standpoint and Terence's originality remain controversial. This edition puts the issues for the general reader, and complements commentaries for the student of Latin in the long tradition going back to Donatus by concentrating on the dramatic qualities of the piece and the texture of Terence's lithe verse-diction in relation to meaning. This is a completely revised edition of that of 1987.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1181369 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01-01
• Original language: Latin
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

About the Author
edited by A S Gratwick

Customer Reviews

An Excellent Edition of a Pretty Good Play
Even those who do not find Terence particularly funny must admit that he is a stellar dramatist. The characters in ‘The Brothers’ are all vivid and strong, the plot is swift and not without its turns. Terence's theme of the education of teenagers remains relevant to this day. Also Syrus the cunning slave in particular is a brilliant comic creation, especially when he gives Demea directions. Gratwick’s prose translation captures the meaning and tone of the Latin very well, and it includes stage directions, making it an ideal edition to use a script for a production. It even has a couple illustrations. The commentary is deep and thorough, and contains many points useful for understanding Terence’s play. I highly recommend this book for any classicist or director with an interest in Latin drama.