Oxford Readings in Menander, Plautus, and Terence (Oxford Readings in Classical Studies)

This volume of seminal essays examines the origins of modern comedy. It looks at the quiet domestic dramas of Menander, the Greek comic playwright whose work was rediscovered in the last century; the farces of Plautus, allegedly adaptations of the Greek but really mockeries on themes of his Hellenistic predecessors; and the comedies of Terence which, whilst seemingly throwbacks to Menander in style, have their own originality which gave a final form to what we now know as modern comedy. The papers are pulled together in the introduction which sets all the pieces included in their historical and cultural context, and examines the legacy for modern comedies. All Latin and Greek is translated.

This book documents the origins of modern comedy by examining the evolution of "New Comedy," the Greek genre of which the works of Menander are the only surviving example. It looks at the quiet domestic dramas of Menander, the farces of Plautus, and the comedies of Terence. An authoritative Introduction sets the papers, which are by leading experts in their field, in context and explores connections between them thus examining the legacy for modern comedies. All Latin and Greek is translated.