This book, keyed to the Penguin translation, introduces three of Terence's most entertaining and widely read plays. The selection demonstrates his versatility as a playwright: the brilliant farce of The Eunuch, the subtle comedy of Phormio and the more serious theme of the relationship between fathers and sons explored in The Brothers. A detailed and well-researched introduction sets Terence in his context in the Roman theatre, while the commentaries, with their useful line-by-line analysis, provide the reader with valuable information about the social and ethical background, as well as offering views on interpretation. Latin words are identified where this seems helpful, and references are made to other comedies (including those of Menander and Plautus) to give the student a broader picture of Terence's work.

John Barsby is Emeritus Professor of Classics, University of Otago.