Giriş
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Dramatis Personae LACHES, From λαγχύνω, to obtain by lot or heirship. an aged Athenian. PHAEDRIA, From φαιδρὸς, cheerful. his sons. CHAEREAFrom χαίρων, rejoicing. ANTIPHO, From ἀντὶ, opposite to, and φῶς, light, or φῆμι, to speak. a young man, friend of Chaerea. CHREMES, From χρεμίζω, to neigh; delighting in horses. a young man, brother of Pamphila. THRASO, From θρασὸς, boldness. a boastful Captain. GNATHO, From γναθὸς, the jawbone; a glutton. a Parasite. PARMENO, From παρὰ, by, and μένω, to remain. servant of Phldria. SANGA, From Sangia in Phrygia, his native country. cook to Thraso. DONAX, From δόνὺξ, a reed. servants of Thraso. SIMALIOFrom σιμὸς, flat-nosed. SYRISCUSFrom Syria, his country; or from συρίσκος, a basket of figs. DORUS, a Eunuch slave. THAIS, From θεύομαι, to look at. a Courtesan. PYTHIAS,From πυθομένη, asking questions. her attendants. DORIASFrom Doris, their country, a part of Caria. SOPHRONA, From σώφρων, prudent. a nurse. PAMPHILA, From πᾶν, all and φιλὸς, a friend. 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 TITLEColman 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. 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,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. M. Valerius and C. Fannius being Consuls.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.
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.
