Terence, Eunuchus [The Eunuch]

David M. Christenson (University of Arizona)

Ed. by William John Dominik, University of Otago
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.2: Ancient Roman Writing and Culture (Republic and Empire), -750-476.
Vol. editors: William John Dominik (University of Otago), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Thomas Habinek (University of Southern California), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Sophia Papaioannou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Jula Wildberger (The American University of Paris)

Dates

First circulation or publication -161

Places

Ancient Rome (Republic & Empire) (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Comedy
Play

Resources

Eunuchus (161 BCE) was said to be Terence's most successful play and earned him (or its producer) unprecedented revenues. The play debuted at the annual Megalensian festival in honor of Cybele or the Magna Mater (“The Great Mother”), an eastern goddess worshipped in Rome beginning in 204 BCE. Cybele's exotic cult featured ecstatic rites and eunuch priests who wore women's clothing. A play such as Terence's, in which a character (Chaerea) impersonates a eunuch in a “flashy outfit” (683) to gain access to a girl (Pamphila), thus held special relevance in its original festival context. Eunuchus, with its themes of transvestitism, gender-bending, and sexuality in general also continues to attract …

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1425 words

Citation: Christenson, David M.. "Eunuchus". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 May 2009 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13478, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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