The Comedies of Terence: Literally Translated into English Prose, with Notes

Terence wrote these six comedies in the shadow of the Roman Republic, adapting Greek models into something distinctly his own: polished, humane, and devastatingly funny about the absurdities of love, family, and getting by in a world that demands you be someone you're not. The young man torn between duty and desire in The Girl from Andros; the scheming slaves and bewildered fathers in Phormio; the brothers whose opposing philosophies on raising sons threaten to destroy them all in The Brothers. These are not plays about grand heroes. They're about the small comedies of ordinary Romans trying to marry wisely, manage their households, and survive their children's choices. Terence's genius lies in his elegance and his empathy. He finds genuine pathos beneath the wit, and his clean, rhythmic Latin influenced everyone from Shakespeare to modern comedy. This translation captures that lightness while preserving the dramatic punch. For readers who want to see where Western comedy comes from, or who simply appreciate a well-constructed joke across twenty-three centuries.