The Comedies of Terence

About this book

The work presents a scholarly edition of Terence’s Roman comedies, offering a literal English prose translation by Henry Thomas Riley alongside George Colman’s 1768 blank‑verse rendering. The opening pages explain the editorial choices: only wording differences from the 1768 second edition are noted, while spelling and punctuation variations are ignored; where the Harper text errs, the older reading is substituted, and alternate readings appear at the end of each scene. Stage directions, added in braces, help modern readers follow the original dramatic action. The volume begins with the prologue to The Andrian, where the playwright defends his art against accusations of corrupting fable, then moves into the first scene of domestic intrigue, introducing characters such as Simo, Sosia, and Davus as they discuss marriage, mischief, and the tangled affairs of youth. This careful presentation lets the reader experience the structure and language of the ancient plays as they were performed in the Roman theatre.

The translation retains the formal, measured cadence of late‑classical Latin comedy, rendered into clear, literal English that preserves the original’s rhetorical balance. Colman’s verse version supplies a poetic counterpart, echoing the metrical patterns of the source while remaining accessible to contemporary ears. Readers who enjoy close readings of classical drama, appreciate the interplay of humor and moral commentary, or are interested in the mechanics of early‑modern scholarship will find this edition rewarding. It appeals especially to students of Latin literature, theatre historians, and anyone drawn to the witty repartee and social satire that characterize Terence’s surviving works.