Brothers - Publicity Terentius Afer (195-159 BC e)

Literature of antiquity and the Middle Ages - Summary - 2019

Brothers
Publicity Terentius Afer (195-159 BC e)

The eternal theme: in the late afternoon, the father awaits in anxiety at the house of a somewhat delayed son and mumbles himself under the nose, that there are no more worries than parental excitement ... An old man Mickon does not have any children. His brother Damie has two sons. One of them, Aeschine, was adopted by Micon. Educates a young man within the limits of reasonable permissibility and full confidence. Demee often blames him for it.

And it's just that Damie Ctesiphon's son falls in love with the Bacchus harpist, which is still the property of Sannion's winner.

Noble Aeschine, intelligent and energetic (though, at the event, he himself is not off to chew and have fun), severely stirs this collector: Sannion is clearly afraid of him. And there are grounds for this.

Moreover, in order to protect the brother from too serious rebukes, part of his sins, Aeschin takes on himself, real risking to damage his reputation. And this fraternal selflessness is touching.

Cheese, the slave of Micaon, is very devoted to the owners: it relieves them both in word and in business. He helped to raise both young men. By the way, the smart Syar takes the most active part in the "trickery" of the wise man Sannion.

And again - the traditional plot movement: in due time Aeschin has deprived a good girl Pamfilu. At that birth are approaching, And honest Aeschin is ready to take on all the concerns of fatherhood: he does not reject anything.

But his imaginary sins (he, as you remember, often covered his nephew brother Ktesiphon) damaged his relationship with the bride and her kinsmen; Aeschina is simply denied home.

Yet by the common efforts of relatives, friends and devotees, the truth and peace will be restored. But this is still ahead.

By the way, and in this situation, slaves often turn out to be smarter and more humane than some gentlemen. And it's very resourceful - so always!

Demee is increasingly convinced that his brother cares for his good and fortune more than he is - with strict restrictions and hints.

Thanks to the friendly assistance of Aeschine and Sera, the frivolous Ctesiphon has fun with the singer. Their feelings are sincere and therefore cause the likes of spectators. But this, of course, concerns his father Demee. Therefore, in particularly critical moments, the devotee of Cheese skillfully draws him away from the place of love's son's surnames.

To check the reliability of Aeschine's feelings, his father tells about a groom-relative from Miletus, who is ready to take Pamphil with his child. Especially because Aeschine in his time was frivolous (not to say - not permissible) drawn with matchmaking; his future wife was already in the ninth month!

But, seeing the sincere repentance and even the despair of his son, his father calms him down: everything is already settled, and the bride's family believed that he was not so much to blame, as the proclamation claimed. And the young mother believed too.

Paying twenty min to the waiter for a singer, Mikion decides to leave her in the house - he will live merry!

And still grumbling Demei, he excuses: everyone has the right to live as he used to, if, of course, it does not really hurt the others.

And Demee is changing right in front of her eyes! Until recently - harsh and haughty, he becomes friendly even in relation to slaves. And in the impulse of feelings, it tells the servants to carry the fence between the two houses:

let the yard be common in order to play the wedding widely, together, and then the bride will not have to go to the groom's house, which would already be difficult in her current position.

And finally, the same Demee offers Mikion to give his loyalty to the loyal slave of Syria. And at the same time - and his wife.