Eunuchus (The Eunuch) is a comedy written by the 2nd century BC Roman playwright Terence featuring a complex plot of rape and reconciliation. It was Terence's most successful play during his lifetime. Suetonius notes how the play was staged twice in a single day and won Terence 8,000 sesterces. The play is a loose translation of one written by Menander in Greek.USU.edu
The play was first performed at the Megalesian Games in Rome in the spring of 161 BC. It was either the second or third of Terence's six plays.Terence. The Eunuch. In Radice, B. (1976, trans.). Terence: The Comedies, p. 159 (in print). Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Group.
Characters
Laches - Athenian nobleman and father of Phaedria and Chaerea. In some manuscripts his name is listed as Demea. Phaedria - A wealthy Athenian young man, in love with Thais. Chaerea - Younger brother of Phaedria, in love with Pamphila. Dresses as the eunuch Dorus to gain access to her. Antipho - Chaerea's friend who has been promised dinner. Chremes - A young Athenian man and brother to Pamphila. Thraso - A braggart soldier. Gnatho - Thraso's "parasite," a man who agrees with everything Thraso says in hopes of being invited to dinner. Dorus - A eunuch Phaedria bought as a gift for Thais. Parmeno - A slave belonging to Phaedria's family. Donax - Member of Thraso's "army." Sanga - Cook in Thraso's house and member of his "army" who shows up carrying a sponge. Simalio - Another member of Thraso's "army." Syriscus - Another member of Thraso's "army." Thais - A foreign courtesan from Rhodes living in Athens. She is attempting to reunite Pamphila with her true family. Pythias - Main maidservant of Thais. Dorias - Another maidservant of Thais. Pamphila - Younger sister of Chremes stolen as a child and raised as Thais' sister in Rhodes. She was purchased as a slave by Thraso and brought to Athens to be a gift to Thais. Sophrona - Pamphila's nurse. Ethiopian slave girl - A slave Phaedria purchased as a gift for Thais. She has no dialogue in the play.
Prologue The prologue is an apology for the work of Terence, who was coming under attack at the time for his writing. It is believed that he was a member of a writer's circle, and his work was not completely his own. He states that he ...doesn't deny that in his Eunuch he has transported characters out of the Greek: but ... if the same characters will not be permitted, how is it more permissible to depict a servant on the run, or to make use of good old women, evil courtesans, a gluttonous parasite, a braggart soldier, a changeling, an old man duped by a servant, or even love, hate, and suspicion? In short, nothing is said that has not been said before.
Plot The courtesan Thais has two lovers: a certain braggart army officer called Thraso, and the wealthy young man Phaedria, who lives next door. At the beginning of the play Thais begs Phaedria to leave town for a couple of days, just long enough for her to extract from Thraso the present of a younger girl. This girl, Pamphila, who was kidnapped from Athens by pirates and sold into slavery, had been brought up on the island of Rhodes as a younger sister to Thais. Thais now wishes to return the girl to her original family. Reluctantly Phaedria agrees to leave, but before departing he says he has his own presents for Thais, a black slave-girl and a eunuch. He leaves his slave Parmeno in charge of handing these presents over.
Soon afterwards, Pamphila is delivered to Thais's house, escorted by a "parasite" or hanger-on of Thraso, called Gnatho.
Now Phaedria's younger brother Chaerea comes along. He has seen Pamphila at the port, fallen immediately in love, and followed her to the house. Based on a joking suggestion by Parmeno, the beardless Chaerea decides to substitute himself for the eunuch in order to get into Thais's house and he forces Parmeno to cooperate. Since he has been away on military service, Thais and her household staff do not know his face. Chaerea's plan works, and at a suitable moment when Thais is out of the house with Thraso, he rapes Pamphila, and then, discovered by Thais's maid Pythias, he flees the scene.
Thais's plan to get in good favour with Pamphila's Athenian family seems to be ruined. At this point Phaedria returns and discovers what his brother has done. Chaerea returns to Thais's house and explains his love for Pamphila and agrees to marry her. Pamphila's brother, Chremes, is grateful for the return of his long-lost sister, Phaedria and Thais are reconciled, and the soldier and Phaedria agree to share Thais.
Metrical structure
+ Distribution of metresiambictrochaicquaternarii <0.2%senarii 54%septenarii 9% 20%octonarii 14% 2%
The metres used in the Eunuchus, in terms of the numbers of lines, are as follows:These figures are taken from the database The Meters of Roman Comedy by Timothy J. Moore, hosted at the Washington University in St Louis.
iambic senarii (ia6): 54% (this metre was unaccompanied) trochaic septenarii (tr7): 20% iambic octonarii (ia8): 14% iambic septenarii (ia7): 9% trochaic octonarii (tr8): 2% trochaic quaternarii (tr4): less than 0.2%
The different metres have different functions. Iambic senarii are used for exposition of the background, and often begin a metrical section. Trochaic septenarii are a metre of lively conversation; often in these passages the plot moves forwards.
Iambic octonarii (ia8) are often used when a character brings news. They can also sometimes be used for expressing distress or joy or other emotions. In this play, the metre is particularly associated with the younger brother Chaerea, who has 88 lines of the 110 iambic octonarii in this play.Moore, T. J. (2012). Music in Roman Comedy, p. 184.
The play also contains 104 lines of iambic septenarii (ia7). This metre (sometimes called "the metre of love" or "the laughing metre") is used when Pamphila and Chaerea first appear, and when Chaerea emerges from Thais's house and describes how he raped Pamphila. It is also used by Pythias when she is gleefully teasing Parmeno about how he is going to be punished.
One of the striking features of the Eunuchus is the fact that most of the lines of the courtesan Thais (unlike the lines of most courtesans in Roman comedy) are unaccompanied iambic senarii. When her words are accompanied by music at a moment of crisis, she uses an equally unprecedented series of eight trochaic octonarii (lines 739–736).A detailed analysis of the metres of Eunuchus is given in T. J. Moore (2013). "Meter and Music". In A. Agoustakis and Ariana Traill, A Companion to Terence (Blackwell), pp. 89–110.
Prologue Prologue (lines 1–45): ia6 (45 lines) Terence defends his play against the criticisms of another poet.
Phaedria is persuaded to leave town Act 1.1–1.2 (46–206): ia6 (151 lines) The young man Phaedria is discovered consulting his slave Parmeno about what to do: he says that his girlfriend, the courtesan Thais, who had shut him out, has now invited him back. Parmeno advises him to be careful: if he shows any weakness, she will control him. Phaedria confesses that her behaviour angers him and yet he is burning with love.
– The courtesan, Thais, comes out of her house and greets Phaedria. With frequent interruptions from Parmeno, Thais explains that when she was a child she was brought up in Rhodes together with a kidnapped Athenian girl who was like a sister to her. Thais came to Athens in the company of her lover, who had gone off to Caria; it was at this time she started her relationship with Phaedria. By chance this lover of hers had bought the Athenian girl, intending to give her to Thais as a present; but he delayed giving her the girl when he saw that Thais now had another lover. Now Thais begs Phaedria to allow her two days with the other man, so that she can get the Athenian girl and restore her to her original family. – Phaedria is annoyed but eventually agrees to go to the country for two days. He also says he has bought her an Ethiopian slave-girl and a eunuch, as she requested. He orders Parmeno to see that these are delivered to her. – When Phaedria and Parmeno have gone inside, Thais declares that she loves Phaedria more than anyone.
Act 2.1 (207–223): mixed iambic and trochaic metres (17 lines) Phaedria comes out, on his way to the family's country residence. He reminds Parmeno to be sure to deliver his presents to Thais. – As soon as Phaedria has gone, Parmeno sees Gnatho, a parasite, approaching, bringing a girl even more beautiful than Thais. This is evidently the present from Phaedria's rival.
Act 2.2 (224–254): tr7 (31 lines) Talking to the audience, Gnatho recounts how he just now met another man of the same kind as himself, but unsuccessful. He boasts how he himself makes a good living by flattering the egos of wealthy men.
Chaerea appears Act 2.2 (255–291): ia7 (37 lines) Gnatho goes on to say that when he and the man reached the market all sorts of traders came up fawning on him. The man, seeing this, begged Gnatho to allow him to be his disciple in the art of being a parasite. – He now sees Parmeno and greets him. Parmeno replies rudely. Gnatho takes the girl inside Thais's house and shortly afterwards comes out again and departs. – Suddenly Parmeno sees Phaedria's younger brother Chaerea approaching. He is surprised since Chaerea is supposed to be on public guard duty at the port.
Act 2.3 (292–322): mostly ia8 (21 lines) mixed with other metres (9 lines) Chaerea appears to have fallen madly in love (ia8). (Parmeno comments aside that he seems even worse smitten than Phaedria.) Chaerea sees Parmeno and, reminding him that he had often promised to help if ever Chaerea had a love affair, tells him he has fallen for a girl who, unlike most girls, is strong and buxom with a good complexion, 16 years old. He is determined to have her (ia6). But he doesn't know where she lives (ia7).
Act 2.3 (323–351): ia6 (29 lines) Chaerea tells Parmeno that he had lost sight of the girl when a relative of his father had stopped him in the street and delayed him. Parmeno reassures him that he knows where the girl is.
Act 2.3 (352–366): tr7 (15 lines) Parmeno informs Chaerea that the girl is a gift from the soldier Thraso to the courtesan Thais, who lives next door. He says that Phaedria for his part is offering an unsightly eunuch. Chaerea envies the eunuch since he is going to live in the same house as the beautiful girl.
Act 2.3 (367–390): ia8 (23 lines), with tr7 (1 line) Parmeno jokingly suggests that Chaerea (who is still only a youth) should dress up as the eunuch and go into the house instead of him (ia8). To his surprise Chaerea jumps at the idea (tr7). Parmeno is afraid of being punished but fails to deter Chaerea. Chaerea orders Parmeno to help him carry out the plan (ia8).
Chaerea rapes Pamphila Act 3.1–3.3 (391–538): ia6 (148 lines) Secretly observed by Parmeno, the soldier Thraso and his parasite Gnatho arrive. Thraso is boasting of his friendship with a king, while Gnatho flatters him. He advises Thraso that if Thais seems to prefer Phaedria, he should respond by praising Pamphila, the Athenian girl. – Thais comes out and greets Thraso. Parmeno steps forward and asks her to accept Phaedria's presents. He brings out a black girl and Chaerea, dressed up as a eunuch. Thraso and Gnatho declare that these presents are of small value. Parmeno tells Thais that Phaedria will be happy to share her time with other lovers. Thais takes the new slaves inside and comes out again with some attendants. Before she departs with Thraso, she gives instructions to one of her maids, Pythias, that if a certain Chremes arrives, she is to beg him to wait for her or come back later, or else Pythias should bring him to her. They depart.