Plautus & Terence: The Masters of Roman Comedy

Quick Summary: Roman comedy is dominated by two titans: Plautus (Energy & Farce) and Terence (Elegance & Refinement). Both adapted Greek New Comedy into Latin, influencing Shakespeare, Molière, and the entire European comic tradition.

Portrait of Plautus Roman Playwright — Plautus (c. 254–184 BCE), the master of Roman farce.

Plautus (c. 254–184 BCE): The Energy of Farce

Born in Italy around 254 BCE, Plautus transformed the refined "New Comedy" of Menander into high-energy, musical farce tailored for Roman audiences.

Style: His plays were full of physical humor, exaggeration, and slapstick. Unlike the original Greek models, Plautus added significant amounts of song and dance, making his plays more akin to musical theatre.
Stock Characters: He popularized enduring archetypes: the Clever Slave (servus callidus), the Braggart Soldier (miles gloriosus), and the Gullible Old Man (senex).
Focus: Plautus prioritized laughter and entertainment over moral reflection.

Major Plays & Legacy

🎯 Exam Point: Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors" is directly based on Plautus's "Menaechmi".

Menaechmi: A comedy of mistaken identity involving twin brothers. This plot became the blueprint for Shakespeare.
Miles Gloriosus: The "Braggart Soldier" archetype. It mocks martial pride by revealing the soldier's inner cowardice.
Amphitryon: A parody of myth where Jupiter impersonates a mortal husband to seduce his wife.

Terence (c. 195–159 BCE): Elegance & Refinement

Terence, born in North Africa and brought to Rome as a slave, represents the sophisticated side of Roman comedy. Freed and educated, he became part of the elite Scipionic Circle.

Style: Unlike the boisterous Plautus, Terence emphasized refinement, subtlety, and psychological depth.
Themes: He explored domestic conflicts, education, and ethical dilemmas with sympathy and realism.
Language: His pure, elegant Latin became a model for medieval education and was admired by Renaissance humanists like Erasmus.

Works & Philosophy

He composed 6 plays between 166–160 BCE, all of which survive: Andria, Hecyra, Heauton Timorumenos, Eunuchus, Phormio, and Adelphoe.

🎯 Exam Point: Terence's famous maxim: "Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto" (I am human, and I think nothing human is alien to me).

Plautus vs. Terence: A Comparison

While Roman crowds often preferred the raucous energy of Plautus, later literary critics and educators favored Terence for his style and humanity. The duality of their legacy—Plautus for energy, Terence for refinement—shaped the dual nature of European comedy for centuries.