Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Line

Dramatis Personae LACHES, ¹ an aged Athenian. PHAEDRIA, ² his sons. CHAEREA³ ANTIPHO, ⁴ a young man, friend of Chaerea. CHREMES, ⁵ a young man, brother of Pamphila. THRASO, ⁶ a boastful Captain. GNATHO, ⁷ a Parasite. PARMENO, ⁸ servant of Phldria. SANGA, ⁹ cook to Thraso. DONAX, ¹⁰ servants of Thraso. SIMALIO¹¹ SYRISCUS¹² DORUS, a Eunuch slave. THAIS, ¹³ a Courtesan. PYTHIAS,¹⁴ her attendants. DORIAS¹⁵ SOPHRONA, ¹⁶ a nurse. PAMPHILA, ¹⁷ a female slave.

(Scene.— Athens ; before the houses of LACHES and THAIS. )

THE SUBJECT. A CERTAIN citizen of Athens had a daughter named Pamphila, and a son called Chremes. The former was stolen while an infant, and sold to a Rhodian merchant, who having made a present of her to a Courtesan of Rhodes , she brought her up with her own daughter Thais, who was somewhat older. In the course of years, Thais following her mother’s way of life, removes to Athens . Her mother dying, her property is put up for sale, and Pamphila is purchased as a slave by Thraso, an officer and an admirer of Thais, who happens just then to be visiting Rhodes . During the absence of Thraso, Thais becomes acquainted with Phaedria, an Athenian youth, the son of Laches; she also discovers from Chremes, who lives near Athens , that Pamphila, her former companion, is his sister. Thraso returns, intending to present to her the girl he has bought, but determines not to do so until she has discarded Phaedria. Finding that the girl is no other than Pamphila, Thais is at a loss what to do, as she both loves Phaedria, and is extremely anxious to recover Pamphila. At length, to please the Captain, she excludes Phaedria, but next day sends for him, and explains to him her reasons, at the same time begging of him to allow Thraso the sole right of admission to her house for the next two days, and assuring him that as soon as she shall have gained possession of the girl, she will entirely throw him off. Phaedria consents, and resolves to spend these two days in the country; at the same time he orders Parmeno to take to Thais a Eunuch and an Aethiopian girl, whom he has purchased for her. The Captain also sends Pamphila, who is accidentally seen by Chaerea, the younger brother of Phaedria; he, being smitten with her beauty, prevails upon Parmeno to introduce him into the house of Thais, in the Eunuch’s dress. Being admitted there, in the absence of Thais, he ravishes the damsel. Shortly afterward Thraso quarrels with Thais, and comes with all his attendants to her house to demand the return of Pamphila, but is disappointed. In conclusion, Pamphila is recognized by her brother Chremes, and is promised in marriage to Chaerea; while Thraso becomes reconciled to Phaedria, through the mediation of Gnatho, his Parasite.

THE TITLE¹⁸ OF THE PLAY. PERFORMED at the Megalensian Games; L. Posthumius Albinus and L. Cornelius Merula being Curule Aediles. L. Ambivius Turpio and L. Atilius Praenestinus performed it. Flaccus, the freedman of Claudius, composed the music to two treble flutes. From the Greek of Menander. It was acted twice,¹⁹ M. Valerius and C. Fannius being Consuls.²⁰

THE SUMMARY OF C. SULPITIUS APOLLINARIS. THE Captain, Thraso, being ignorant of the same, has brought from abroad a girl who used wrongly to be called the sister of Thais, and presents her to Thais herself: she in reality is a citizen of Attica . To the same woman, Phaedria, an admirer of Thais, orders a Eunuch whom he has purchased, to be taken, and he himself goes away into the country, having been entreated to give up two days to Thraso. A youth, the brother of Phaedria, having fallen in love with the damsel sent to the house of Thais, is dressed up in the clothes of the Eunuch. Parmeno prompts him; he goes in; he ravishes the maiden; but at length her brother being discovered, a citizen of Attica , betroths her who has been ravished, to the youth, and Thraso prevails upon Phaedria by his entreaties.

Eunuchus. Publius Terentius Afer (Terence). Henry Thomas Riley (Translator), George Colman (Translator). Ney York. 1874.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by NSF, NEH: Digital Libraries Initiative, Phase 2.

Current edition Perseus

Eunuchus; or, The Eunuch (English) (Terence. The Comedies of Terence. Riley, Henry Thomas; Colman, George, translators. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1872.)

Editions (1)

Eunuchus Perseus (Terence. Publii Terentii Comoediae Sex. Parry, Edward St. John, editor. London: Whittaker and Co.; George Bell, 1857.) — front focus

FABULAE INTERLOCUTORES.

ANTIPHO, adolescens. CHAEREA, adolescens. CHREMES, adolescens rusticus. DORIAS, ancilla. DORUS, eunuchus. GNATHO, parasitus. LACHES, senex. PARMENO, servus. PHAEDRIA, adolescens. PYTHIAS, ancilla. SANGA, lixa. SOPHRONA, nutrix. THAIS, meretrix. THRASO, miles.

INTRODUCTION. PAMPHILA and Chremes were the children of an Athenian citizen. Pamphila, while an infant, was carried off from her home at Sunium by robbers, and by them sold to a merchant of Rhodes . He presented her to a courtesan of that place, who had her brought up with her own daughter Thais as her younger sister. When Thais grew up she removed to Athens with a lover of hers, who at his death left her all his property. She then kept company with a soldier named Thraso, who went to Caria after living with her a short time. Meanwhile her mother had died, and her uncle wishing to realize money by Pamphila, who was beautiful and accomplished, sold her to Thraso, who happened to be at Rhodes on his return to Athens , and carried her with him intending to make a present of her to Thais. During his absence, however, Thais had found a new lover, one Phaedria, son of Laches. This Thraso discovers on his return, and in order to secure his footing with her, makes his present conditional upon Phaedria’s dismissal. This causes Thais great perplexity, for she is really attached to Phaedria, and yet much wishes to get possession of Pamphila, whose history she has learnt in part, and whom she hopes to restore to her Athenian family, intending by so doing to make herself friends in Athens . Accordingly she shuts her door against Phaedria.

He is at first highly incensed at her conduct; but after an interview with her, consents to absent himself from Athens for a day or two, that she may have time to obtain Pamphila from Thraso. Before he goes he gives orders that an Ethiopian slave, and an eunuch whom he has bought for Thais, shall be taken to her house. At this moment Thraso sends Pamphila under the escort of Gnatho his follower. On her way to Thais’ house she is seen in the street by Chaerea, Phaedria’s brother, who at first sight falls desperately in love with her, and hurries after her, but being detained on his way by an old friend of his father’s, arrives just too late to see her taken into the house. Here he falls in with Parmeno, his father’s slave, and between them they concoct the scheme on which the plot of the play turns. Chaerea is dressed up in the eunuch’s clothes and conducted to Thais’ house, where he soon has an opportunity of carrying out his intended scheme, during the absence of Thais at Thraso’s house; after which he makes his escape. This event causes the greatest consternation in the household; and is no less distressing to Thais, who finds her plan for restoring Pamphila to her relations thus awkwardly frustrated. For in the meantime she has obtained some interviews with Chremes, the brother of Pamphila, and has nearly identified Pamphila when the catastrophe comes to her knowledge. Phaedria, too, is much disconcerted at discovering that his present has worked so much mischief. All parties, in fact, are at their wit’s end, with the exception of Chaerea, who, upon discovering Pamphila’s history, makes the best amends he can by undertaking to marry her. Pythias meanwhile, Thais’ maid, pays off old scores by driving Parmeno to divulge the whole matter to Laches, father of Chaerea and Phaedria.

The result is of course a happy explanation on all sides. Thais is taken under Laches’ protection, and continues her intimacy with Phaedria. Chaerea and Pamphila marry. Parmeno is forgiven by his grateful young master: and the only person who suffers is the unfortunate Thraso, who is beaten clean off the field, and is only too glad to submit to be the perpetual butt of these young sparks, on condition that he shall be allowed to be one in their parties, and thus still enjoy the society of Thais. This is the outline of the play, which gives a very lively and amusing action. But the most admirable feature is the manner in which some of the subordinate parts are worked out. The bye-play between Pythias and Parmeno is admirable. The character of the Parasite as drawn in Act II. scene ii. is admirable, and striking from its novelty after the hackneyed ideal which is presented to us in all the plays of Plautus. No less admirable is the Braggadocio of Act III. scene i., the features of the character being the same as those of the Miles Gloriosus of Plautus, except that Terence with greater humour makes Thraso prouder of his wit than of his military exploits. The scene in which Thraso is represented as attacking Thais in her house (Act IV. scene vii.) is highly ridiculous, and reminds one more strongly than any passage of Terence of the free humour of Aristophanes. We cannot wonder that the Eunuchus should have been the most popular of all Terence’s plays: for here there is the nearest approach to the Plautini sales, which were the true Roman comedy. It is said to have been purchased by the Aediles for the sum of 8000 sesterces (above 64 £ 10 s. sterling), the largest sum which had been given for any play. The leading incident of the plot makes it unfit for the modern stage: but when we say this we say all that can be said against the play. The execution is highly delicate, even in the famous scene which describes the successful issue of Chaerea’s scheme. The play is said by the author of the Life of Terence to have been acted twice in one day: and no doubt it was acted on more than one occasion.

EUNUCHUS. ACTA LUDIS MEGALENSIBUS, L. POSTUMIO ALBINO L. CORNELIO MERULA AEDILIBUS CURULIBUS. EGERE L. AMBIVIUS TURPIO L. ATILIUS PRAENESTINUS TIBIIS DUABUS DEXTRIS. GRAECA MENANDRU. ACTA II. MODOS FECIT FLACCUS CLAUDII, M. VALERIO C. FANNIO COSS.

PROLOGUS

Si quisquam est qui placere se studeat bonis
1

Quam plurimis et minime multos laedere,

In his poeta hic nomen profitetur suum.

Tum si quis est qui dictum in se inclementius

Existimavit esse, sic existimet,
5

Responsum non dictum esse, quia laesit prior,

Qui bene vertendo, et easdem scribendo male, ex

Graecis bonis Latinas fecit non bonas.

Idem Menandri Phasma nunc nuper dedit;

Atque in Thesauro scripsit causamn dicere
10

Prius unde petitur aurum quare sit suumn

Quam ille qui petit unde is sit thesaurus sibi,

Aut unde in patrium monumentum pervenerit.

Dehinc ne frustretur ipse se, aut sic cogitet,

Defunctus iam sum, nihil est quod dicat mihi;
15

Is ne erret moneo et desinat lacessere.

Habeo alia multa quae nunc condonabitur;

Quae proferentur post, si perget laedere

Ita ut facere instituit. Quam nunc acturi sumus

Menandri Eunuchum postquam Aediles emerunt,
20

Perfecit sibi ut inspiciendi esset copia.

Magistratus cum ibi adessent occepta est agi.

Exclamat furem non poetam fabulam

Dedisse, et nihil dedisse verborum tamen;

Colacem esse Naevi et Plauti veterem fabulam;
25

Parasiti personam inde ablatam et militis.

Si id est peccatum, peccatum imprudentia est

Poetae; non qui furtum facere studuerit.

Id ita esse vos iam iudicare poteritis.

Colax Menandri est; in ea est parasitus Colax,
30

Et miles gloriosus; eas se non negat

Personas transtulisse in Eunuchum suam

Ex Graeca; sed eas fabulas factas prius

Latinas scisse sese id vero pernegat.

Quod si personis iisdem uti aliis non licet,
35

Qui magis licet currentes servos scribere,

Bonas matronas facere, meretrices malas,

Parasitum edacem, gloriosum militem,

Puerum supponi, falli per servum senem,

Amare, odisse, suspicari? Denique
40

Nullum est iam dictum, quod non dictum sit prius.

Quare aequum est vos cognoscere atque ignoscere

Quae veteres factitarunt si faciunt novi.

Date operam, et cum silentio animadvertite,

Ut pernoscatis quid sibi Eunuchus velit.
45

Notes on the current edition

Eunuchus; or, The Eunuch

1. From λαγχύνω, to obtain by lot or heirship.

2. From φαιδρὸς, cheerful.

3. From χαίρων, rejoicing.

4. From ἀντὶ, opposite to, and φῶς, light, or φῆμι, to speak.

5. From χρεμίζω, to neigh; delighting in horses.

6. From θρασὸς, boldness.

7. From γναθὸς, the jawbone; a glutton.

8. From παρὰ, by, and μένω, to remain.

9. From Sangia in Phrygia , his native country.

10. From δόνὺξ, a reed.

11. From σιμὸς, flat-nosed.

12. From Syria , his country; or from συρίσκος, a basket of figs.

13. From θεύομαι, to look at.

14. From πυθομένη, asking questions.

15. From Doris, their country, a part of Caria .

16. From σώφρων, prudent.

17. From πᾶν, all and φιλὸς, a friend.

18. Colman has the following remark on this Play:

This seems to have been the most popular of all the Comedies of Terence. Suetonius and Donatus both inform us that it was acted with the greatest applause, and that the Poet received a larger price for it from the Aediles than had ever been paid for any before, namely, 8000 sesterces, which is about equal to 200 crowns, which in those times was a considerable sum.

19. Acted twice This probably means twice in one day. As it is generally supposed that something is wanting after the figures II, this is presumed to be die, in one day, in confirmation of which Suetonius informs us that it really was performed twice in one day. Donatus says it was performed three times, by which he may probably mean, twice on one day and once on another.

20. Being Consuls M. Valerius Messala and C. Fannius Strabo were Consuls in the year from the building of the City 591, or B.C. 162.

Publius Terentius Afer (Terence) Eunuchus front

Henry Thomas Riley (Translator), George Colman (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

FABULAE INTERLOCUTORES.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers