Person

Terence

d. c. 159 BCE · 2nd century BCE · Also known as Publius Terentius Afer

Terence, in full Publius Terentius Afer, was a Roman comic playwright, said to have been born in North Africa and brought to Rome as a slave. His six surviving comedies, adapted from Greek New Comedy, are known for refined language and careful characterisation. He died young around 159 BCE, and his plays were widely read in schools for centuries.

Terence
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Mentioned in 2 profiles

Roman RepublicImpactLatinLiterature

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Terence. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/terence
MLA
“Terence.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/terence. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Terence.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/terence.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Terence’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/terence (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻