Roman literature had emerged from obscurity just previous to the times of Terence: that sun, which was destined to shed its splendour over all future ages, was then scarcely risen from the darkness which shrouded it during the rude infancy of the Roman commonwealth; and even for a long period after Rome assumed the highest rank in the scale of nations. Livius Andronicus, the first poet of eminence, wrote dramatic pieces in the year of Rome 513. He was followed by Nævius, Ennius, Tegula, and Cæcilius; next comes Pacuvius, who excelled in tragedies; then follow Plautus and his cotemporaries Plautius, Aquilius, and Acutius; and, lastly, Terence brought the Latin drama to its highest perfection about the year of Rome 590, eighty years after its first appearance. But, in Greece, dramatic writing had attained the highest pitch of excellence under Menander, more than one hundred years before; and the Latin poets copied most closely from the refined writings of the Greeks. At that time, and for many years after, Greek was almost as much in fashion at Rome, as French has of late years been in fashion in England: it formed a necessary branch of a polite education; and many of the Romans quitted their native city, and resided in Greece a considerable time, for the purpose of perfecting themselves in the Greek language, and enjoying the advantage of associating themselves with the philosophers and other learned men of that country. Our author, therefore, complied with the taste of the age, and no man succeeded better in making the Greek poets speak Latin. He copied chiefly from Menander: the four entire plays, the Andrian, the Eunuch, the Self-tormentor, and the Brothers, were taken from the writings of that great poet, as were also some parts of the Step-mother and the Phormio.