Lucius Afranius (poet)

Lucius Afranius was an ancient Roman comic poet, who lived at the beginning of the 1st century BC.^[1]

Life

His comedies described Roman scenes and manners (the genre called comoediae togatae) and the subjects were mostly taken from the life of the lower classes (comoediae tabernariae).^[2][3] They were considered by some ancients to be frequently polluted with disgraceful amours, which, according to Quintilian, were only a representation of the conduct of Afranius.^[4] He depicted, however, Roman life with such accuracy that he is classed with Menander, from whom indeed he borrowed largely.^[5][6][7] He imitated the style of Gaius Titius, and his language is praised by Cicero.^[8] His comedies are spoken of in the highest terms by the ancient writers, and under the Empire they not only continued to be read, but were even acted, of which an example occurs in the time of Nero.^[9][10][11] They seem to have been well known even at the latter end of the 4th century AD.^[12] Afranius had written many comedies, as the names and fragments of between twenty and thirty are still preserved.

The following titles of Afranius's plays are known:

References

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "^{article name needed}". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. 

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Afranius, Lucius (Roman poet)". Encyclopædia Britannica 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.