TERENTIUS
ARSA, tators, their commentators and bibliography.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - c
S.
] said to have attained the age of one hundred and
TERE'NTIA. 1. The wife of M. Cicero. Her three. (Plin. H. N. vii. 48. s. 49; Val. Max. viji.
parentage is unknown. Her mother must have 13. $ 6. ) The life of Terentia is given at length
married twice, for she had a half-sister of the by Drumann. (Geschichte Roms, vol. vi. pp. 685
name of Fabia, who was a Vestal Virgin. This -694. )
Fabia was charged with having had sexual inter- 2. Also called TERENTILLA, the wife of Mae-
course with Catiline, who was brought to trial for cenas. Dion Cassius (liv, 3) speaks of her as a
the crime in B. c. 73, but was acquitted. (Ascon. sister of Murena and of Proculeius. The full name
in Cic. Corn. p. 93, ed. Orelli ; Plut. Cat. min. 19; of this Murena was A. Terentius Varro Murena :
Sall. Cat. 15; Drumann, Geschichte Roms, vol. v. he was perhaps the son of L. Licinius Murena,
p. 392. ) The year of Terentia's marriage with who was consul B. C. 62, and was adopted by A.
Cicero is not known, but as their daughter Tullia Terentius Varro. Murena would thus have been
was married in B. C. 63, the marriage of her parents the adopted brother of Terentia: Proculeius was
may probably be placed in 80 or 79. Terentia was probably only the cousin of Murena. (See Vol. III.
a woman of sound sense and great resolution ; and p. 540, b. )
her firmness of character was of no small service to We know nothing of the early history of Te-
her weak and vacillating husband in some im- rentia, nor the time of her marriage with Maecenas.
portant periods of his life. On his banishment in She was a very beautiful woman, and as licentions
B. C. 58, Tullia by her letters endeavoured to keep as most of the Roman ladies of her age. She was
up Cicero's fainting spirits, though to little pur- one of the favourite mistresses of Augustus ; and
pose, and she vigorously exerted herself on his Dion Cassius relates (liv. 19) that there was a
behalf among his friends in Italy. Cicero, how- report at Rome that the emperor visited Gaul in
ever, appears to have taken offence at something B. c. 16, simply to enjoy the society of Terentia
she had done during his exile, for on his return unmolested by the lampoons which it gave occasion
to Italy in the following year he writes to Atticus to at Rome. The intrigue between Augustus and
praising the sympathy which his brother and his Terentia is said by Dion Cassius to have disturbed
daughter had shown him, without mentioning Te the good understanding which subsisted between
rentia (ad Att. iv. 2). During the civil war, Cicero the emperor and his minister, and finally to have
bitterly complained that his wife did not furnish occasioned the disgrace of the latter. Maecenas
him and Tullia with money ; but on bis departure however had not much right to complain of the
for Greece, he had left his affairs in the greatest conduct of his wife, for his own infidelities were
confusion, and Terentia appears to have done the notorious. But notwithstanding his numerous
best she could under the circumstances. Cicero, amours, Maecenas continued to his death deeply
however, threw all the blame upon his wife, and in love with his fair wife. Their quarrels, which
attributed his embarrassments to her extravagance were of frequent occurrence, mainly in consequence
and want of management. He had returned to of the morose and haughty temper of Terentia,
Brundisium after the defeat of Pompey, ruined in rarely lasted long, for the natural uxoriousness of
his prospects, and fearing that he might not obtain Maecenas constantly prompted him to seek a recon-
forgiveness from Caesar. He was thus disposed to ciliation ; so that Seneca says (Ep. 114) he mar-
look at every thing in the worst light. When ried a wife a thousand times, though he never had
Terentia wrote to him proposing to join him at more than one. Once indeed they were divorced,
Brundisium, he replied in a few lines telling her but Maecenas tempted her back by presents (Dig.
not to come, as the journey was long and the roads 24. tit. 1. s. 64). Her influence over him was so
unsafe, and she moreover could be of no use to great, that in spite of his cautious temper, he was
him (Cic. ad Fam. xiv. 12). In the following year, on one occasion weak enough to confide to her an
B. C. 46, Cicero divorced Terentia, and shortly important state secret respecting the conspiracy of
afterwards married Publilia, a young girl of whose her brother Murena. (Dion Cass. liv. 3, 19, lv. 7 ;
property he had the management. This marriage Suet. Aug. 66, 69; Frandsen, C. Cilnius Maecenas,
occasioned great scandal at Rome. Antonius and pp. 132—136. )
other enemies of Cicero maintained that he had TERENTIA GENS, plebeian. The name was
3 8 2
## p. 996 (#1012) ###########################################
996
TERENTIUS.
TERENTIUS.
said by Varro to be derived from the Sabine word | him in a letter to P. Silius. (Cic. ad Alt. xi. 10,
tercnus, which signified “soft” (Macrob. Sat. ii. ad Fam. xiii. 65. )
9. ) The Terentii are mentioned as early as B. C. 12. Ser. TERENTIUS, was a friend of D. Brutus,
462, for the C. Terentillus Arsi, who was tribune whom he pretended to be on the flight from Muj-
of the plebs in that year (Liv. iii. 9), must have tina, B. C. 43, in order to save the life of his friend ;
belonged to the gens ; and indeed he is called C. but he was recognised by the officer of Antony's
Terentius by Dionysius (x. 1). The first member cavalry, and preserved from death. (Val. Max.
of the gens who obtained the consulship was C. Te- iv. 7. $ 6. ).
rentius Varro, who commanded at the fatal battle 13. M. TERENTIUS, a Roman eques, was ac-
of Cannac in B. c. 216 ; and persons of the name cused, in a. D. 32, on account of his having been a
continue to be mentioned under the early em- friend of Sejanus. He defended himself with great
perors. The principal surnames of the Terentii courage, and was acquitted. (Tac. Ann, vi. 8, 9. )
during the republic are CULLEO, LUCANUS, and 14. TERENTIUS LENTINUS, a Roman eques, was
VaRRO: there are a few others of less importance, privy to the forgery of Valerius Fabianus, and was
which are given below under TERENTIUB.
in consequence condemned in A. D. 61. (Tac. Ann.
TERENTIA'NUS MAURUS, a Roman poet, xiv. 40. )
probably lived at the end of the first or the begin- 15. TERENTIUS, was said by some persons to
ning of the second century under Nerva and Trajan, have been the murderer of the emperor Galba.
and is perhaps the same person as the Terentianus, (Tac. Hist. i. 41 ; Plut. Galb. 27. )
the governor of Syene in Egypt, whose praises TERENTIUS CLEMENS. [CLEMENS. ]
Are celebrated by Martial (i. 87; comp. Wernsdorf, TERE'NTIUS SCAURUS. [SCAURUS. )
Poëtae Latini Minorcs, vol. ii. p. 259). Terentianus P. TERE'NTIUS AFER, was the second and
was a native of Africa, as we might have inferred the last of the Roman comic poets, of whose works
from his surname Maurus. There is still extant a more than fragments are preserved. The few
poem of Terentianus, intitled De Literis, Syllabis, particulars of his life were collected long after his
Pedibus, Metris, which treats of prosody and the decease, and are of very doubtful authority. It
different kinds of metre with much elegance and would therefore be to little purpose to repeat them
skill. The work is printed in the collection of the without scrutiny or comment. We shall, in the
ancient grammarians by Putschius, pp. 2383– first place, inquire who were the biographers of
2450, and in a separate form by Santen and Van Terence, what they relate of him, and the con-
Lennep, Traj. ad Rhen. 1825, and by Lachmann, sistency and credibility of their several accounts.
Berol. 1836.
We shall next briefly survey the comedies them-
TERENTILLA. [Terentia, No. 2. ) selves, their reception at the time, their influence
TERENTILLUS. [TERENTIUS, No. 1. ] on dramatic literature, their translators and imi-
TERENTIUS. 1. C.
TERENTIUS ARSA, tators, their commentators and bibliography.
called TEREXTILLus by Livy, tribune of the plebs, Our knowledge of Terence himself is derived
B. C. 462, proposed that five commissioners should principally from the life ascribed Donatus or
be appointed to draw up a body of laws to define Suetonius, and from two scanty memoirs, or col-
the consular imperium. (Liv. iii. 9; Dionys. lections of Scholia, the one published in the seven-
x. 1. )
teenth century, by Abraham Gronovius, from an
2. Q. TERENTIUS, was sent by the senate, Oxford MS. , and the other by Angelo Mai, from
along with M. Antistius, to bring back the consul a MS, in the Vatican. The life of Terence, printed
C. Flaminius to the city, but he refused to obey in the Milan edition of Petrarch's works 1476, is
their summons. (Liv. xxi. 63. )
merely a comment on Donatus. Of these, the first
3. -LTEREYTIUS MASSALIOTA, plebeian aedile, mentioned is the longest and most particular. It
B. C. 200, and praetor B. c. 187, when he obtained is nevertheless a meagre and incongruous medley,
Sicily as his province. (Liv. xxxi. 50, xxxviii. 42. ) which, for its barrenness, may be ascribed to Do-
4. L. Terentius, one of the ambassadors sent natus, and for its scandal to Suetonius. But it
to king Antiochus in B. c. 196. (Liv. xxxiii. 35. ) cites still earlier writers, — C. Nepos, Fenestella,
5. Č. TERENTIUS Istra, praetor c. 182, ob- Porcius, Santra, Volcatius, and Q. Cosconius. Of
tained Sardinia as his province. In the following these Nepos is the best known, and perhaps the
year he was one of the triumviri for founding a most trustworthy. His contemporaries deemed him
colony at Graviscae. (Liv. xxxix. 56, xi. 1, 29. ) a sound antiquarian (Catull. i. 1), and his historical
6. L. TERENTIUS MASSALIOTA, probably a studies had trained him to examine facts and dates.
son of No. 3, was tribunus militum in B. c. 180. (Gell. xv. 48. ) Of Fenestella, more voluminous
(Liv xl. 35. )
than accurate, we have already given some account
7. P. Terentius TUSCIVANUS, one of the am- (Vol. II. p. 145]. Q. Cosconius was probably the
p.
bassadors sent into Illyricum in B. c. 167. (Liv. grammarian cited by Varro (L. L. vi. 36, 89), Por-
xlv. 18. )
cius, the Porcius Licinius, a satirical and seemingly
8. TERENTIUS VESPA, one of whose witticisms libellous versifier, mentioned by Gellius (xvii. 21,
is quoted by Cicero in his De Oratore (ii. 61). xix. 19), and Volcatius was the Volcatius Sedigitus
9. L. TERENTIUS, was the companion and tent- quoted by the same author (xv. 24). Santra is
mate of Cn. Pompeius, when the latter was serving enumerated by St. Jerome (Vit. Script. Eccles. )
under his father Strabo in B. C. 87, and was bribed among the Latin compilers of Memoirs ; he wrote
by Cinna to kill Pompeius. (Plut. Pomp. 3. ) also a treatise De Antiquitate Verborum, cited fre-
10. Cx. Terentius, a senator, into whose cus-quently by Festus. Such writers are but indifferent
tody Caeparius, one of the Catilinarian conspirators, vouchers for either facts or dates, whether from
was given. (Sall. Cat. 47. )
their living so long after the poet's age, or from the
11. P. TERENTIUS Hispo, a friend of Cicero, character of their testimony. In the following
was promagister of the company of publicani, who account we interweave our comment with their
farmed the taxes in Asia. Cicero recommended
a
text.
## p. 997 (#1013) ###########################################
TERENTIUS.
997
TERENTIUS.
P. Terentius Afer was born at Carthage B. c. play offered by Terence for representation. The
195, since he was in his 35th year at the perform- curule aediles, who conducted the theatrical exhi-
ance of bis last play, the Adelphi, B. c. 160. By bitions, referred the piece to Caecilius, then one of
birth or purchase, he became the slave of P. Te- the most popular play-writers at Rome. [CAECILIUS
rentius Lucanus, a Roman senator. But if he Statius. ] Unknown and meanly clad, Terence
were “ civis Carthaginiensis," as the didascalia of began to read from a low stool his opening scene,
Donatas and the biographers siyle him, his servile 80 often cited by Cicero as a model of narration.
condition is difficult to understand. Fenestella (Invent. i. 23, de Oral. ii. 40, &c. , &c. ) A few
remarked that Terence could not have been a pri- verses showed the elder poet that no ordinary
soner of war, since Carthage was at peace with writer was before him, and the young aspirant,
Rome from B. C. 201 to 149. But in that interiin then in his 27th year, was inrited to share the
the Carthaginians were involved in wars with couch and supper of his judge. This reading of the
their own mercenaries, with the Numidians, and Andrian, however, must have preceded its per-
with the southern Iberians, and at least two Roman formance nearly two years, for Crecilius died in
embassies visited Carthage. So that, although the B. C. 168, and it was not acted till 166. Mean-
truce with Rome was unbroken, Terence or his while copics were in circulation, envy was awakened,
parents may have been exposed in the Punic slaves and Luscius Lavinius (Vol. II. p. 812) a veteran,
markets, and transported to Italy. His cognomen and not very successful play-writer (comp. Prol. in
Afer rests on as good authority as any other cir- Terent. Com. ; Gell. xv. 24; Hieron. in Genes. ),
cumstance related of him. Yet it is not conclusive. began his unwearied and unrelenting attacks on
It may bave been merely an inference from a po- the dramatic and personal character of the author.
pular rumour of his Punic origin ; and it was a The “ Andrian" was successful, and, aided by the
cognomen of the Gens Domitia at Rome, where it accomplishments and good address of Terence hinn.
certainly does not imply African descent. Terence self, was the means of introducing him to the most
is said to have been of an olive complexion, thin refined and intellectual circles of Rome. In the
person, and middle height. (Donat. ) These are interval between Plautus and Terence, the great
not the physical characteristics of the Punic race, Roman families had more and more assumed the state
but they accord with those of the Liby-phoenician and character of princely houses. In their town and
or Celtiberian perioeci, who were planted as colo- country seats, the Scipios, the Laelii, the Metelli and
nists in various parts of the Carthaginian territory; the Mucii, formed each a petty court around them-
and it is more likely that a perioecus, or the son of selves. Among the patrons or associates of Te-
a perioecus, should have been enslaved, than that rence we find the names of L. Furius Philus, of
a native Carthaginian should have become the pro- C. Sulpicius Gallus, of Q. Fabius Labeo, and M
perty of a Roman senator, so long as their re- Popilius Laenas. But from the comparative youth
spective commonwealths were at peace. It is re of the parties, his intercourse with Laelius and the
markable also that Plautus, an Umbrian, in his younger Scipio had in it less of dependence on the
comedy of the “ Poenulus" should have introduced une side, and more of friendship on the other.
a Carthaginian among his dramatis personae, and Nepos, indeed (Fr. Chron. i. 6), calls them
an entire scene in the Punic language, while neither aequales. Both Scipio and Laelius, however, were
Carthaginian words, names, or allusions, are to be probably about nine years younger than their pro-
met with in Terence.
tégé. Both treated him as an equal, and this in-
We know not at what time Terence came to timacy would open to him, as it formerly opened
Rome ; but from his proficiency in the language of to Ennius, and subsequently to Lucilius, the
his masters we infer that he fell early into the houses of the Aemilii, Metelli, and Scaevolae. (Cic.
hands of Terentius Lucanus, even if he were not a , Arch. 7; Vet. Schol. in Hor. Serm. ii. 1. 71. )
oorna, or slave born in the house. A handsome Nor is it rash to conjecture that Terence may have
person and promising talents recommended Te-conversed with Polybius at Alba or Liternum, or
rence to his patron, who afforded him the best made one of the group immortalised by Horace.
education of the age and finally manumitted him. (Serm. ii. 1. 71, foll. ; vet. Schol. )
The condition of slaves was not always unfavour- Calumny did not fail to misrepresent their inter-
able to intellectual development. More than one
His patrons, it was said, assisted Terence
eminent writer was born in a servile station, and in the composition, nay, were the real authors of
Tiro, Cicero's freedman, was the associate of his his plays, made him their playmate and butt, and
patron's literary labours, and his amanuensis.
TERE'NTIA. 1. The wife of M. Cicero. Her three. (Plin. H. N. vii. 48. s. 49; Val. Max. viji.
parentage is unknown. Her mother must have 13. $ 6. ) The life of Terentia is given at length
married twice, for she had a half-sister of the by Drumann. (Geschichte Roms, vol. vi. pp. 685
name of Fabia, who was a Vestal Virgin. This -694. )
Fabia was charged with having had sexual inter- 2. Also called TERENTILLA, the wife of Mae-
course with Catiline, who was brought to trial for cenas. Dion Cassius (liv, 3) speaks of her as a
the crime in B. c. 73, but was acquitted. (Ascon. sister of Murena and of Proculeius. The full name
in Cic. Corn. p. 93, ed. Orelli ; Plut. Cat. min. 19; of this Murena was A. Terentius Varro Murena :
Sall. Cat. 15; Drumann, Geschichte Roms, vol. v. he was perhaps the son of L. Licinius Murena,
p. 392. ) The year of Terentia's marriage with who was consul B. C. 62, and was adopted by A.
Cicero is not known, but as their daughter Tullia Terentius Varro. Murena would thus have been
was married in B. C. 63, the marriage of her parents the adopted brother of Terentia: Proculeius was
may probably be placed in 80 or 79. Terentia was probably only the cousin of Murena. (See Vol. III.
a woman of sound sense and great resolution ; and p. 540, b. )
her firmness of character was of no small service to We know nothing of the early history of Te-
her weak and vacillating husband in some im- rentia, nor the time of her marriage with Maecenas.
portant periods of his life. On his banishment in She was a very beautiful woman, and as licentions
B. C. 58, Tullia by her letters endeavoured to keep as most of the Roman ladies of her age. She was
up Cicero's fainting spirits, though to little pur- one of the favourite mistresses of Augustus ; and
pose, and she vigorously exerted herself on his Dion Cassius relates (liv. 19) that there was a
behalf among his friends in Italy. Cicero, how- report at Rome that the emperor visited Gaul in
ever, appears to have taken offence at something B. c. 16, simply to enjoy the society of Terentia
she had done during his exile, for on his return unmolested by the lampoons which it gave occasion
to Italy in the following year he writes to Atticus to at Rome. The intrigue between Augustus and
praising the sympathy which his brother and his Terentia is said by Dion Cassius to have disturbed
daughter had shown him, without mentioning Te the good understanding which subsisted between
rentia (ad Att. iv. 2). During the civil war, Cicero the emperor and his minister, and finally to have
bitterly complained that his wife did not furnish occasioned the disgrace of the latter. Maecenas
him and Tullia with money ; but on bis departure however had not much right to complain of the
for Greece, he had left his affairs in the greatest conduct of his wife, for his own infidelities were
confusion, and Terentia appears to have done the notorious. But notwithstanding his numerous
best she could under the circumstances. Cicero, amours, Maecenas continued to his death deeply
however, threw all the blame upon his wife, and in love with his fair wife. Their quarrels, which
attributed his embarrassments to her extravagance were of frequent occurrence, mainly in consequence
and want of management. He had returned to of the morose and haughty temper of Terentia,
Brundisium after the defeat of Pompey, ruined in rarely lasted long, for the natural uxoriousness of
his prospects, and fearing that he might not obtain Maecenas constantly prompted him to seek a recon-
forgiveness from Caesar. He was thus disposed to ciliation ; so that Seneca says (Ep. 114) he mar-
look at every thing in the worst light. When ried a wife a thousand times, though he never had
Terentia wrote to him proposing to join him at more than one. Once indeed they were divorced,
Brundisium, he replied in a few lines telling her but Maecenas tempted her back by presents (Dig.
not to come, as the journey was long and the roads 24. tit. 1. s. 64). Her influence over him was so
unsafe, and she moreover could be of no use to great, that in spite of his cautious temper, he was
him (Cic. ad Fam. xiv. 12). In the following year, on one occasion weak enough to confide to her an
B. C. 46, Cicero divorced Terentia, and shortly important state secret respecting the conspiracy of
afterwards married Publilia, a young girl of whose her brother Murena. (Dion Cass. liv. 3, 19, lv. 7 ;
property he had the management. This marriage Suet. Aug. 66, 69; Frandsen, C. Cilnius Maecenas,
occasioned great scandal at Rome. Antonius and pp. 132—136. )
other enemies of Cicero maintained that he had TERENTIA GENS, plebeian. The name was
3 8 2
## p. 996 (#1012) ###########################################
996
TERENTIUS.
TERENTIUS.
said by Varro to be derived from the Sabine word | him in a letter to P. Silius. (Cic. ad Alt. xi. 10,
tercnus, which signified “soft” (Macrob. Sat. ii. ad Fam. xiii. 65. )
9. ) The Terentii are mentioned as early as B. C. 12. Ser. TERENTIUS, was a friend of D. Brutus,
462, for the C. Terentillus Arsi, who was tribune whom he pretended to be on the flight from Muj-
of the plebs in that year (Liv. iii. 9), must have tina, B. C. 43, in order to save the life of his friend ;
belonged to the gens ; and indeed he is called C. but he was recognised by the officer of Antony's
Terentius by Dionysius (x. 1). The first member cavalry, and preserved from death. (Val. Max.
of the gens who obtained the consulship was C. Te- iv. 7. $ 6. ).
rentius Varro, who commanded at the fatal battle 13. M. TERENTIUS, a Roman eques, was ac-
of Cannac in B. c. 216 ; and persons of the name cused, in a. D. 32, on account of his having been a
continue to be mentioned under the early em- friend of Sejanus. He defended himself with great
perors. The principal surnames of the Terentii courage, and was acquitted. (Tac. Ann, vi. 8, 9. )
during the republic are CULLEO, LUCANUS, and 14. TERENTIUS LENTINUS, a Roman eques, was
VaRRO: there are a few others of less importance, privy to the forgery of Valerius Fabianus, and was
which are given below under TERENTIUB.
in consequence condemned in A. D. 61. (Tac. Ann.
TERENTIA'NUS MAURUS, a Roman poet, xiv. 40. )
probably lived at the end of the first or the begin- 15. TERENTIUS, was said by some persons to
ning of the second century under Nerva and Trajan, have been the murderer of the emperor Galba.
and is perhaps the same person as the Terentianus, (Tac. Hist. i. 41 ; Plut. Galb. 27. )
the governor of Syene in Egypt, whose praises TERENTIUS CLEMENS. [CLEMENS. ]
Are celebrated by Martial (i. 87; comp. Wernsdorf, TERE'NTIUS SCAURUS. [SCAURUS. )
Poëtae Latini Minorcs, vol. ii. p. 259). Terentianus P. TERE'NTIUS AFER, was the second and
was a native of Africa, as we might have inferred the last of the Roman comic poets, of whose works
from his surname Maurus. There is still extant a more than fragments are preserved. The few
poem of Terentianus, intitled De Literis, Syllabis, particulars of his life were collected long after his
Pedibus, Metris, which treats of prosody and the decease, and are of very doubtful authority. It
different kinds of metre with much elegance and would therefore be to little purpose to repeat them
skill. The work is printed in the collection of the without scrutiny or comment. We shall, in the
ancient grammarians by Putschius, pp. 2383– first place, inquire who were the biographers of
2450, and in a separate form by Santen and Van Terence, what they relate of him, and the con-
Lennep, Traj. ad Rhen. 1825, and by Lachmann, sistency and credibility of their several accounts.
Berol. 1836.
We shall next briefly survey the comedies them-
TERENTILLA. [Terentia, No. 2. ) selves, their reception at the time, their influence
TERENTILLUS. [TERENTIUS, No. 1. ] on dramatic literature, their translators and imi-
TERENTIUS. 1. C.
TERENTIUS ARSA, tators, their commentators and bibliography.
called TEREXTILLus by Livy, tribune of the plebs, Our knowledge of Terence himself is derived
B. C. 462, proposed that five commissioners should principally from the life ascribed Donatus or
be appointed to draw up a body of laws to define Suetonius, and from two scanty memoirs, or col-
the consular imperium. (Liv. iii. 9; Dionys. lections of Scholia, the one published in the seven-
x. 1. )
teenth century, by Abraham Gronovius, from an
2. Q. TERENTIUS, was sent by the senate, Oxford MS. , and the other by Angelo Mai, from
along with M. Antistius, to bring back the consul a MS, in the Vatican. The life of Terence, printed
C. Flaminius to the city, but he refused to obey in the Milan edition of Petrarch's works 1476, is
their summons. (Liv. xxi. 63. )
merely a comment on Donatus. Of these, the first
3. -LTEREYTIUS MASSALIOTA, plebeian aedile, mentioned is the longest and most particular. It
B. C. 200, and praetor B. c. 187, when he obtained is nevertheless a meagre and incongruous medley,
Sicily as his province. (Liv. xxxi. 50, xxxviii. 42. ) which, for its barrenness, may be ascribed to Do-
4. L. Terentius, one of the ambassadors sent natus, and for its scandal to Suetonius. But it
to king Antiochus in B. c. 196. (Liv. xxxiii. 35. ) cites still earlier writers, — C. Nepos, Fenestella,
5. Č. TERENTIUS Istra, praetor c. 182, ob- Porcius, Santra, Volcatius, and Q. Cosconius. Of
tained Sardinia as his province. In the following these Nepos is the best known, and perhaps the
year he was one of the triumviri for founding a most trustworthy. His contemporaries deemed him
colony at Graviscae. (Liv. xxxix. 56, xi. 1, 29. ) a sound antiquarian (Catull. i. 1), and his historical
6. L. TERENTIUS MASSALIOTA, probably a studies had trained him to examine facts and dates.
son of No. 3, was tribunus militum in B. c. 180. (Gell. xv. 48. ) Of Fenestella, more voluminous
(Liv xl. 35. )
than accurate, we have already given some account
7. P. Terentius TUSCIVANUS, one of the am- (Vol. II. p. 145]. Q. Cosconius was probably the
p.
bassadors sent into Illyricum in B. c. 167. (Liv. grammarian cited by Varro (L. L. vi. 36, 89), Por-
xlv. 18. )
cius, the Porcius Licinius, a satirical and seemingly
8. TERENTIUS VESPA, one of whose witticisms libellous versifier, mentioned by Gellius (xvii. 21,
is quoted by Cicero in his De Oratore (ii. 61). xix. 19), and Volcatius was the Volcatius Sedigitus
9. L. TERENTIUS, was the companion and tent- quoted by the same author (xv. 24). Santra is
mate of Cn. Pompeius, when the latter was serving enumerated by St. Jerome (Vit. Script. Eccles. )
under his father Strabo in B. C. 87, and was bribed among the Latin compilers of Memoirs ; he wrote
by Cinna to kill Pompeius. (Plut. Pomp. 3. ) also a treatise De Antiquitate Verborum, cited fre-
10. Cx. Terentius, a senator, into whose cus-quently by Festus. Such writers are but indifferent
tody Caeparius, one of the Catilinarian conspirators, vouchers for either facts or dates, whether from
was given. (Sall. Cat. 47. )
their living so long after the poet's age, or from the
11. P. TERENTIUS Hispo, a friend of Cicero, character of their testimony. In the following
was promagister of the company of publicani, who account we interweave our comment with their
farmed the taxes in Asia. Cicero recommended
a
text.
## p. 997 (#1013) ###########################################
TERENTIUS.
997
TERENTIUS.
P. Terentius Afer was born at Carthage B. c. play offered by Terence for representation. The
195, since he was in his 35th year at the perform- curule aediles, who conducted the theatrical exhi-
ance of bis last play, the Adelphi, B. c. 160. By bitions, referred the piece to Caecilius, then one of
birth or purchase, he became the slave of P. Te- the most popular play-writers at Rome. [CAECILIUS
rentius Lucanus, a Roman senator. But if he Statius. ] Unknown and meanly clad, Terence
were “ civis Carthaginiensis," as the didascalia of began to read from a low stool his opening scene,
Donatas and the biographers siyle him, his servile 80 often cited by Cicero as a model of narration.
condition is difficult to understand. Fenestella (Invent. i. 23, de Oral. ii. 40, &c. , &c. ) A few
remarked that Terence could not have been a pri- verses showed the elder poet that no ordinary
soner of war, since Carthage was at peace with writer was before him, and the young aspirant,
Rome from B. C. 201 to 149. But in that interiin then in his 27th year, was inrited to share the
the Carthaginians were involved in wars with couch and supper of his judge. This reading of the
their own mercenaries, with the Numidians, and Andrian, however, must have preceded its per-
with the southern Iberians, and at least two Roman formance nearly two years, for Crecilius died in
embassies visited Carthage. So that, although the B. C. 168, and it was not acted till 166. Mean-
truce with Rome was unbroken, Terence or his while copics were in circulation, envy was awakened,
parents may have been exposed in the Punic slaves and Luscius Lavinius (Vol. II. p. 812) a veteran,
markets, and transported to Italy. His cognomen and not very successful play-writer (comp. Prol. in
Afer rests on as good authority as any other cir- Terent. Com. ; Gell. xv. 24; Hieron. in Genes. ),
cumstance related of him. Yet it is not conclusive. began his unwearied and unrelenting attacks on
It may bave been merely an inference from a po- the dramatic and personal character of the author.
pular rumour of his Punic origin ; and it was a The “ Andrian" was successful, and, aided by the
cognomen of the Gens Domitia at Rome, where it accomplishments and good address of Terence hinn.
certainly does not imply African descent. Terence self, was the means of introducing him to the most
is said to have been of an olive complexion, thin refined and intellectual circles of Rome. In the
person, and middle height. (Donat. ) These are interval between Plautus and Terence, the great
not the physical characteristics of the Punic race, Roman families had more and more assumed the state
but they accord with those of the Liby-phoenician and character of princely houses. In their town and
or Celtiberian perioeci, who were planted as colo- country seats, the Scipios, the Laelii, the Metelli and
nists in various parts of the Carthaginian territory; the Mucii, formed each a petty court around them-
and it is more likely that a perioecus, or the son of selves. Among the patrons or associates of Te-
a perioecus, should have been enslaved, than that rence we find the names of L. Furius Philus, of
a native Carthaginian should have become the pro- C. Sulpicius Gallus, of Q. Fabius Labeo, and M
perty of a Roman senator, so long as their re- Popilius Laenas. But from the comparative youth
spective commonwealths were at peace. It is re of the parties, his intercourse with Laelius and the
markable also that Plautus, an Umbrian, in his younger Scipio had in it less of dependence on the
comedy of the “ Poenulus" should have introduced une side, and more of friendship on the other.
a Carthaginian among his dramatis personae, and Nepos, indeed (Fr. Chron. i. 6), calls them
an entire scene in the Punic language, while neither aequales. Both Scipio and Laelius, however, were
Carthaginian words, names, or allusions, are to be probably about nine years younger than their pro-
met with in Terence.
tégé. Both treated him as an equal, and this in-
We know not at what time Terence came to timacy would open to him, as it formerly opened
Rome ; but from his proficiency in the language of to Ennius, and subsequently to Lucilius, the
his masters we infer that he fell early into the houses of the Aemilii, Metelli, and Scaevolae. (Cic.
hands of Terentius Lucanus, even if he were not a , Arch. 7; Vet. Schol. in Hor. Serm. ii. 1. 71. )
oorna, or slave born in the house. A handsome Nor is it rash to conjecture that Terence may have
person and promising talents recommended Te-conversed with Polybius at Alba or Liternum, or
rence to his patron, who afforded him the best made one of the group immortalised by Horace.
education of the age and finally manumitted him. (Serm. ii. 1. 71, foll. ; vet. Schol. )
The condition of slaves was not always unfavour- Calumny did not fail to misrepresent their inter-
able to intellectual development. More than one
His patrons, it was said, assisted Terence
eminent writer was born in a servile station, and in the composition, nay, were the real authors of
Tiro, Cicero's freedman, was the associate of his his plays, made him their playmate and butt, and
patron's literary labours, and his amanuensis.
