rex_, _Luscius Lanuvinus_, all writers of _palliatae_.
Our chief information about Luscius Lanuvinus is got from the
prologues to Terence's plays (in all of which, except that of the
_Hecyra_, he is attacked), and from Donatus' commentary on these
passages. From Ter. _Eun._ prol. 9-13, we see that he did not tone
down his originals to suit a Roman audience,

'Idem Menandri Phasma nuper perdidit
atque in Thensauro scripsit, causam dicere
prius unde petitur, aurum qua re sit suom,
quam illic qui petit, unde is sit thensaurus sibi
aut unde in patrium monumentum pervenerit.'

Donatus _ad loc._, 'Arguit Terentius quod Luscius contra consuetudinem
litigantium defensionem ante accusationem induxerit.'

TERENCE.

(1) LIFE.

Our chief source of information is Suetonius' life of Terence,
preserved by Donatus, who also makes a slight addition of his own.
Jerome's notice is also based on Suetonius.

P. Terentius Afer was born in Africa, and was brought in early life to
Rome, where he was a slave of P. Terentius Lucanus, by whom he was
educated and subsequently manumitted.

Sueton. _vit. Ter._ p. 26 R., 'P. Terentius Afer, Karthagine natus,
serviit Romae Terentio Lucano senatori, a quo ob ingenium et formam
non institutus modo liberaliter, sed et mature manu missus est. Quidam
captum esse existumant: quod fieri nullo modo potuisse Fenestella
docet, cum inter finem secundi Punici belli et initium tertii et natus
sit et mortuus.'

Terence's cognomen probably shows that he belonged to one of the
African peoples subdued by Carthage. It may be taken as certain that
he was not of Punic birth, and that he was brought to Rome in the
ordinary course of the slave trade.

The date of Terence's birth is not accurately known. Sueton. _ibid._
p. 32, 'Nondum quintum atque vicesimum ingressus annum ... egressus
urbe est neque amplius rediit,' which refers to his voyage to Greece
in B.C. 160, would make the year of his birth to be B.C. 185. This,
however, is an improbable assumption, which rests on the fact that
Roman scholars attributed to him the age of his intimate friend, P.
Scipio Africanus the younger. Thus Sueton. _ibid._ p. 27 (of Terence,
Scipio, Laelius), says, 'quamvis et Nepos aequales omnes fuisse
tradat'; with which contrast _ibid._ 'Fenestella ... contendens
utroque maiorem natu fuisse.' Terence must have been some years older,
as his first piece, the _Andria_, was produced B.C. 166. A successful
piece li