Terence's Four-Speaker Scenes

Abstract

IN THE NOW SUBSTANTIAL CORPUS OF MENANDER there are apparently no scenes involving more than three speaking characters, although mute extras are freely used (Gomme-Sandbach 1973: 16-19; Frost 1988: 2-3). The fragmentary nature of the texts makes it impossible to state categorically they contain no four-speaker scenes, but there is no indisputable example. Even less can we be certain Menander never wrote such scene, given we possess only small fraction of his total output. Nevertheless, the evidence is now strong Menander's normal practice, at least, conformed to of fifth-century tragedy rather than of Aristophanes (cf. Pickard-Cambridge 1968: 135-156; MacDowell 1994: 325-335). By contrast, in the four plays of Terence based on originals by Menander there are at least 18 scenes involving more than three speaking characters. The discrepancy is too great to be ascribed to chance; moreover, we know from the evidence of Terence himself or of Donatus in seven of the scenes in question Terence made changes to his Greek model. Whereas Leo (1912: 226, n. 3) assumed, on the basis of the Latin adaptations, New Comedy enjoyed the same freedom as Old Comedy, it is now clear the Latin adapters not infrequently added extra characters to their Greek models (Gaiser 1972: 1073-79). This had indeed been explicitly stated by the grammarian Diomedes, who contrasts Greek practice, reflected in Horace's dictum nec quarta loquipersona laboret (Ars P. 192), with Roman: atLatiniscriptores complures personas in fabulas introduxerunt ut speciosiores frequentiafacerent (Keil, Gramm. Lat. 1.490-491). Sandbach (1975: 197-204) discussed breaches of the three-actor in Latin adaptations of Menander, whether this is interpreted as weaker rule that not more than three actors should speak in any scene or as stronger rule that not more than three actors should be used in play. He showed all breaches of the rule, in either sense, may with varying degrees of probability be attributed to the Latin adapter rather than Menander, and cautiously concluded the evidence recommended a provisional belief he [Menander] usually observed the weak form of the rule and perhaps the strong form also (204). Sandbach was only concerned with Menander, but there are good grounds for believing other dramatists of the Greek New Comedy were normally, if perhaps not universally, subject to the same three-actor as Menander (Gaiser 1972: 1037-38). Of Terence's two plays based on originals by Apollodorus, the Hecyra contains no four-speaker scenes, the Phormio four; but in each case cogent arguments have been adduced for ascribing to Terence