e touches upon the general reputation of those noble families among
the Roman people. There is nothing to show that Terence got more than
general support and advice from his friends. That his diction reflects
the conversational language of the better classes is recognized.

In B.C. 166, Terence submitted to Caecilius Statius, the examiner of
plays, his first work, the _Andria_, which was accepted, and performed
in that year.

Sueton. _ibid._ pp. 28-9, 'Scripsit comoedias sex. Ex quibus primam
Andriam cum aedilibus daret, iussus ante Caecilio recitare ad cenantem
cum venisset, dicitur initium quidem fabulae, quod erat contemptiore
vestitu, in subsellio iuxta lectulum residens legisse, post paucos
vero versus invitatus ut accumberet cenasse una, dein cetera
percucurrisse non sine magna Caecilii admiratione.'

From the fact of Caecilius' not recognizing him we may conclude that
Terence had as yet no connexion with the guild of poets. This fits in
with _H.T._ prol. 23-4,

'Repente ad studium hunc se adplicasse musicum,
amicum ingenio fretum, haud natura sua.'

Hence probably arose the hatred of other writers, referred to as
_isti_ (_Andr._ 15; 21); _iniqui_ (_H.T._ 27); cf. also _Hec._ prol.
ii. 38,

'Nolite sinere per vos artem musicam
recidere ad paucos.'

As to further connexion between Caecilius and Terence, note (1) that
they had a common actor Ambivius; (2) that Terence sometimes imitates
Caecilius. Thus, according to Donatus, _Andr._ 805,

'ut quimus, aiunt, quando ut volumus non licet'

is from Caecilius (l. 177 R.),

'vivas ut possis quando nec quis ut velis.'

Cf. also _Adelph._ 985,

'Quod prolubium? quae istaec subitast largitas?'

and Caecilius (l. 91 R.),

'Quod prolubium, quae voluptas, quae te lactat largitas?'

Terence died B.C. 159, on his way home from Greece, where he had
probably gone the year before. The place of his death is uncertain.
Whatever plays he may have written while in Greece are lost.

Sueton. _ibid._ p. 32, 'Post editas comoedias, nondum quintum atque
vicesimum ingressus annum, causa vitandae opinionis qua videbatur
aliena pro suis edere, seu percipiendi Graecorum instituta moresque
quos non perinde exprimeret in scriptis, egressus urbe est neque
amplius rediit ... Q. Cosconius redeuntem e Graecia perisse in mari
dicit cum fabulis conversis a Menandro: ceteri mortuum esse in Arcadia
sive Leucadiae tradunt, Cn. Cornelio Dolabella M. Fulvio Nobiliore
cos