Terence and the Language of Roman Comedy

Examines the language of Terence in the context of Roman comedy as a whole.

Evangelos Karakasis (Author)

9780521054638, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 21 January 2008

324 pages
21.5 x 13.9 x 1.8 cm, 0.426 kg

This book offers a comprehensive examination of the language of Roman comedy in general and that of Terence in particular. The study explores Terence's use of language to differentiate his characters and his language in relation to the language of the comic fragments of the palliata, the togata and the atellana. Linguistic categories in the Terentian corpus explored include colloquialisms, archaisms, hellenisms and idiolectal features. Terence is shown to give his old men an old-fashioned and verbose tone, while low characters are represented as using colloquial diction. An examination of Eunuchus' language shows it to be closer to the Plautine linguistic tradition. The book also provides a thorough linguistic/stylistic commentary on all the fragments of the palliata, the togata and the atellana. It shows that Terence, except in the case of his Eunuchus, consciously distances himself from the linguistic/stylistic tradition of Plautus followed by all other comic poets.

Acknowledgements
Conspectus siglorum
Introduction
Part I. Linguistic Differentiation in Terence: 1. Colloquialisms
2. Archaisms
3. Senilis makrologia perissologia
4. Hellenisms
5. Features of elevated language
6. Idiolect
7. Plautus in Terence: the case of Eunuchus
Part II. Linguistic and Stylistic Unity in Roman Comedy: Introduction
8. Terence, Plautus and the palliata
9. Terence, Plautus and the togata
10. Terence, Plautus and the atellana
Bibliography
Index locorum
Index nominum et rerum.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: classical, early & medieval [DSBB]