Terence

Who/What: Roman comedy writer from North Africa; the first African playwright

When: 190 to 159 BCE

Where: Rome

Significance: Terence and all the other Roman writers found inspiration in Greek literature. Comedies like those of Terence took from Hellenistic Greek comedies their plots and standard characters which raised laughs from stereotyped personalities and family life. Two stock characters included the boastful warrior and the obsessed lover.