FABULAE INTERLOCUTORES.
ANTIPHO adolescens.
CHAEREA adolescens.
CHREMES adolescens rusticus.
DORIAS ancilla.
DORUS eunuchus.
GNATHO parasitus.
LACHES senex.
PARMENO servus.
PHAEDRIA adolescens.
PYTHIAS ancilla.
SANGA lixa.
SOPHRONA nutrix.
THAIS meretrix.
THRASO miles.
Act introduction
Scene summary
INTRODUCTION.
PAMPHILA and Chremes were the children of an Athenian
citizen. Pamphila, while an infant, was carried off from her home at
Sunium by robbers, and by them sold to a merchant of Rhodes. He
presented her to a courtesan of that place, who had her brought up
with her own daughter Thais as her younger sister. When Thais grew up
she removed to Athens with a lover of hers, who at his death left her
all his property. She then kept company with a soldier named Thraso,
who went to Caria after living with her a short time.
Meanwhile her mother had died, and her uncle wishing to realize
money by Pamphila, who was beautiful and accomplished, sold her to
Thraso, who happened to be at Rhodes on his return to Athens, and
carried her with him intending to make a present of her to
Thais. During his absence, however, Thais had found a new lover, one
Phaedria, son of Laches. This Thraso discovers on his return, and in
order to secure his footing with her, makes his present conditional
upon Phaedria's dismissal. This causes Thais great perplexity, for she
is really attached to Phaedria, and yet much wishes to get possession
of Pamphila, whose history she has learnt in part, and whom she hopes
to restore to her Athenian family, intending by so doing to make
herself friends in Athens. Accordingly she shuts her door against
Phaedria.
He is at first highly incensed at her conduct; but after an
interview with her, consents to absent himself from Athens for a day
or two, that she may have time to obtain Pamphila from Thraso. Before
he goes he gives orders that an Ethiopian slave, and an eunuch whom he
has bought for Thais, shall be taken to her house. At this moment
Thraso sends Pamphila under the escort of Gnatho his follower. On her
way to Thais' house she is seen in the street by Chaerea, Phaedria's
brother, who at first sight falls desperately in love with her, and
hurries after her, but being detained on his way by an old friend of
his father's, arrives just too late to see her taken into the
house. Here he falls in with Parmeno, his father's slave, and between
them they concoct the scheme on which the plot of the play
turns. Chaerea is dressed up in the eunuch's clothes and conducted to
Thais' house, where he soon has an opportunity of carrying out his
intended scheme, during the absence of Thais at Thraso's house; after
which he makes his escape. This event causes the greatest
consternation in the household; and is no less distressing to Thais,
who finds her plan for restoring Pamphila to her relations thus
awkwardly frustrated. For in the meantime she has obtained some
interviews with Chremes, the brother of Pamphila, and has nearly
identified Pamphila when the catastrophe comes to her
knowledge. Phaedria, too, is much disconcerted at discovering that his
present has worked so much mischief. All parties, in fact, are at
their wit's end, with the exception of Chaerea, who, upon discovering
Pamphila's history, makes the best amends he can by undertaking to
marry her. Pythias meanwhile, Thais' maid, pays off old scores by
driving Parmeno to divulge the whole matter to Laches, father of
Chaerea and Phaedria.
The result is of course a happy explanation on all sides. Thais is
taken under Laches' protection, and continues her intimacy with
Phaedria. Chaerea and Pampphila marry. Parmeno is forgiven by his
grateful young master: and the only person who suffers is the
unfortunate Thraso, who is beaten clean off the field, and is only too
glad to submit to be the perpetual butt of these young sparks, on
condition that he shall be allowed to be one in their parties, and
thus still enioy the society of Thais.
This is the outline of the play, which gives a very lively
and amusing action. But the most admirable feature is the manner in
which some of the subordinate parts are worked out. The bye-play
between Pythias and Parmeno is admirable. The character of the
Parasite as drawn in Act II. scene ii. is admirable, and striking from
its novelty after the hackneyed ideal which is presented to us in all
the plays of Plautus. No less admirable is the Braggadocio of Act
III. scene i., the features of the character being the same as those
of the Miles Gloriosus of Plautus, except that Terence
with greater humour makes Thraso prouder of his wit than of his
military exploits. The scene in which Thraso is represented as
attacking Thais in her house (Act IV. scene vii.) is highly
ridiculous, and reminds one more strongly than any passage of Terence
of the free humour of Aristophanes. We cannot wonder that the Eunuchus
should have been the most popular of all Terence's plays: for here
there is the nearest approach to the "Plautini sales," which were the
true Roman comedy. It is said to have been purchased by the Aediles
for the sum of 8000 sesterces (above 64 10 s. sterling), the
largest sum which had been given for any play. The leading incident of
the plot makes it unfit for the modern stage: but when we say this we
say all that can be said against the play. The execution is highly
delicate, even in the famous scene which describes the successful
issue of Chaerea's scheme. The play is said by the author of the Life
of Terence to have been acted twice in one day: and no doubt it was
acted on more than one occasion.