The Comedies of Terence: Literally Translated into English Prose, with Notes — John Shaqi
The Comedies of Terence: Literally Translated into English Prose, with NotesTerence
General
The Comedies of Terence: Literally Translated into English Prose, with Notes
Terence
Latin drama (Comedy) -- Translations into English; Terence -- Translations into English
[Footnote 15: _Ambivius Turpio and Lucius Atilius
Prænestinus_)--These persons were the heads or managers of the
company of actors who performed the Play, and as such it was their
province to make the necessary contracts with the Curule Ædiles.
They were also actors themselves, and usually took the leading
characters. Ambivius Turpio seems to have been a favorite with the
Roman public, and to have performed for many years; of L. Atilius
Prænestinus nothing is known.]
[Footnote 16: _Freedman of Claudius_)--According to some, the
words, “Flaccus Claudi” mean “the son of Claudius.” It is,
however, more generally thought that it is thereby meant that he
was the freedman or liberated slave of some Roman noble of the
family of the Claudii.]
[Footnote 17: _Treble flutes and bass flutes_)--The history of
ancient music, and especially that relative to the “tibiæ,”
“pipes” or “flutes,” is replete with obscurity. It is not agreed
what are the meanings of the respective terms, but in the present
Translation the following theory has been adopted: The words
“dextræ” and “sinistræ” denote the kind of flute, the former being
{treble}, the latter {bass} flutes, or, as they were sometimes
called, “incentivæ” or “succentivæ;” though it has been thought by
some that they were so called because the former held with the
right hand, the latter with the left. When two treble flutes or
two bass flutes were played upon at the same time, they were
called “tibiæ pares;” but when one was “dextra” and the other
“sinistra,” “tibiæ impares.” Hence the words “paribus dextris et
sinistris,” would mean alternately with treble flutes and bass
flutes. Two “tibiæ” were often played upon by one performer at the
same time. For a specimen of a Roman “tibicen” or “piper,” see the
last scene of the Stichus of Plautus. Some curious information
relative to the pipers of Rome and the legislative enactments
respecting them will be found in the Fasti of Ovid, B. vi. l. 653,
et seq.]
[Footnote 18: _It is entirety Grecian_)--This means that the scene
is in Greece, and that it is of the kind called “palliata,” as
representing the manners of the Greeks, who wore the “pallium,” or
outer cloak; whereas the Romans wore the “toga.” In the Prologue,
Terence states that he borrowed it from the Greek of Menander.]
[Footnote 19: _Being Consuls_)--M. Claudius Marcellus and C.
Sulpicius Galba were Consuls in the year from the building of Rome
586, and B.C. 167.]
[Footnote 20: _A malevolent old Poet_)--Ver. 7. He alludes to
Luscus Lanuvinus, or Lavinius, a Comic Poet of his time, but
considerably his senior. He is mentioned by Terence in all his
Prologues except that to the Hecyra, and seems to have made it the
business of his life to run down his productions and discover
faults in them.]
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