About Terence we does not know the date of birth and also other information reported by Suetonius are still uncertain. Some think it was the same age as Scipione Emiliano, born around 185-184 B.C., while other scholars consider him older. We know that he was born in Africa, more precisely in Carthage, and he arrived in Rome as a slave to a senator named Terenzio Lucano, who instructed him as a free man. The poet assumed the name of the master and was called Publius Terentius Afro: the last name refers to his African origins. Lucio Emilio Paolo, Scipione Emiliano and a friend Gaio Lelio had powerful protectors.

Many accused Terence of acting as a front and non-authenticity of comedies, perhaps above all because of the similarity of thought with the scipions. But it could hardly have been written by Scipione since at the time of publication he was not even twenty. In fact, if you analyze the work “Andria” you immediately notice that the proposed themes come surely from a perfectly mature and aware person.

Summary of Terence’s works

In all he wrote six comedies, all of them preserved and of known date. Terence’s first play, titled Andria, was performed in 166 B.C. and he succeeded. Unfortunately there was not the same positive ending for the second comedy, entitled Hecyra, as the audience left the theater to go and see a match of boxers. In 163 BC Heautontimorumenos followed the comedies in 161 BC. Eunuchus and the Phormio. The Eunuchus was Terence’s greatest success, so much so that they replied on the same day of its publication. In 160 BC he made a play for the death of his friend Lucio Emilio Paolo and named it Adelphoe. Five years later he resumed the Hecyra comedy which had another failure. Shortly thereafter he left for Greece and Asia Minor but he did not return. It is thought to have died in 159 BC. almost at the age of twenty-five.