Source edition
Terence. Publii Terentii Comoediae Sex. Parry, Edward St. John, editor. London: Whittaker and Co.; George Bell, 1857.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This ancient Roman comedy depicts the forbidden love between the Athenian youth Pamphilus and Glycerium, a woman of unknown origin from the island of Andros, and the chaotic complications surrounding an arranged marriage. Set in Athens, the dialogue-driven play features a cast that includes Pamphilus's strict father Simo, the clever slave Davus, and Pamphilus's friend Charinus. To test his son's loyalty, Simo plans a fake wedding with Chremes's daughter, but Davus's counter-schemes backfire, throwing everyone into a whirlwind of misunderstandings and escalating confusion. Amidst Glycerium's childbirth and a series of deceptions involving the newborn, the situation nears a disastrous peak. However, the sudden arrival of Crito, a traveler from Andros, changes everything by revealing Glycerium's true parentage. Once she is proven to be Chremes's long-lost Athenian daughter, the lovers' marriage is officially sanctioned, and the play concludes with a happy resolution for all.