Terence, << TEHR uhns >> (190?-159? B.C.) was a Roman comic playwright. His plays are essentially Latin versions of Greek plots, more refined than those of Plautus and marked by pure style, careful construction, and fine characterization. Six of his comedies survive. They are The Woman of Andros, The Self-Tormentor, The Eunuch, Phormio, The Mother-in-Law, and The Brothers. The Brothers is a thoughtful comedy about two brothers, a country man and a city man. Each brings up one of the sons of the country brother. The country man is strict and the city man is permissive. The resulting idea, that education must pay attention to human nature, perhaps reflects Terence’s own experience.
Terence was born Publius Terentius Afer in Carthage. He came to Rome as a slave in the household of a senator who educated and freed him.
