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Title page of Comoediae sex elegantissimae
Terence is widely perceived as having been, after Plautus, the greatest playwright of the Roman Republic. His six comedies, written in verse, were considered to be models of pure Latin, not only by humanists of the Renaissance, but also by Romans such as Cicero and Horace. Erasmus greatly admired Terence who, he claimed, ‘for pure, terse Latinity has no rival’. In addition to being a model for Latin style, Erasmus also perceived in Terence’s comedies a good moral example for students to follow in their own everyday lives.
This Erasmus edition of Terence’s comedies also includes notes by Melanchthon and other scholars. The title page contains the 17th century inscription of Gerardus Zambick, with two other unidentified inscriptions.
Author: Terence
Title: Comoediae sex elegantissimae [Comedies] (Basel: Nikolas Brylinger, 1550)
Shelfmark: X.8.15 X.8.15
