Terence: Eunuchus

Terence’sEunuchus(first shown on stage in the second century BCE) was extremely successful at its first performance and has been influential ever since, having inspired allusions and remakes by writers and artists from the ancient world into the modern period. This success may be partly due to the fact that the play has a number of ‘Plautine’ elements, such as effective comedy and dramaturgy. At the same time, the piece includes actions that are ethically problematic at least from the point of view of a modern audience, especially the reported rape of a young woman. Thus, this drama is an intriguing example of how a comedy can present attractive entertainment and raise serious issues, both of which contribute to the continuing fascination that Terence’sEunuchusevokes. Gesine Manuwald analyses theEunuchusin its transmitted form as a piece of Roman Republican dramatic literature, looking at: the playwright’s role within the Roman comic tradition and his engagement with contemporary dramatists; the structure and effectiveness of the plot as well as the characterization of the protagonists and the comedy’s themes; and the extent to which these might have resonated with a contemporary audience. On this basis, aspects of the history of the play’s reception can be traced, starting in the ancient world, including the late-antique commentary on the play by Donatus, illustrations in early manuscripts as well as literary and artistic reflections in the early modern and modern periods. Terence’s Eunuchus was probably one of the most successful of all attested Roman comedies in its time and has had a considerable later afterlife. This volume provides a short introduction to the play’s plot, themes and main characters against the necessary background of contemporary dramatic conventions and the historical and literary situation in the period. The presentation outlines the play’s sophisticated plot construction, surveys the delineation of the key protagonists in relation to their prototypes and explores the major themes in the play with reference to contemporary and modern perspectives. A final chapter presents key examples from the reception history of the play. Several appendixes, a further reading section and a bibliography offer information and material for further exploration of the play’s text and context.