Terence (circa 195 – 159 B.C.E.) was a Roman playwright. He was brought to Rome as a slave by a Roman senator who first educated and then later freed him. His comedies were performed for the first time around 170-160 B.C.E. When he was 25 years old Terence travelled to Greece and never returned. Due to his clear and entertaining language, his works were heavily used by monasteries and convents during the Middle Ages and The Renaissance. Scribes often learned Latin through the meticulous copying of Terence’s texts, and priests and nuns often learned to speak Latin through reenactment of his plays. The preservation through the church enabled Terence’s work to influence much of later Western drama.

Quotes by Terence…