ATTA AND AFRANIUS

Writers of togatae were Atta and Afranius. Sueton. p. 15 R. , ‘Togatas tabernarias in scaenam dataverunt praecipue duo, L. Afranius et T. Quintius.’ T. Quintius Atta died B.C. 77, according to Jerome yr. Abr. 1940, ‘T. Quintius Atta, script or togatarum, Romae moritur.’ Eleven titles and about twenty lines of fragments are extant. Horace refers to Atta in Ep. ii. 1, 79 sqq. , ‘Recte necne crocum floresque perambulet Attae fabula si dubitem, clament perii e pudorem cuncti paene patres, ea cum reprendere coner quae gravis Aesopus, quae doctus Roscius egit.’ L. Afranius was probably born between B.C. 154 and 144. He was the chief writer of togatae (Quint. x. 1, 100, ‘Togatis excellit Afranius’), and also an orator. Cic. Brut. 167, ‘L. Afranius poet a, homo perargutus, in fabulis quidem etiam ut scitis disertus.’ There are extant forty-two titles (with Latin names) and more than four hundred lines of fragments. The plays exhibit Roman surroundings, and describe low life, especially of the provincial towns. Cf. the title Brundusinae , also l. 136, ‘Ubi hice Moschis, quaeso, habet, meretrix Neapolitis?’ Afranius imitated Menander, and probably Terence. Hor. Ep. ii. 1, 57, ‘Dicitur Afrani toga conveni e Menandro.’ Macrob. Saturn. vi. 1, 4, ‘Afranius togatarum script or in ea togata, quae Compital i a inscribitur, non inverecunde respond ens arguentibus, quod plura sumps is set a Menandro, “Fateor” inquit “sumps i non ab illo modo, sed ut quisque habu it conveniret quod mihi, quod me non po e melius facere credidi etiam a Latino”’ (ll. 25-8). Sueton. vit. Ter. p. 33 R. , ‘Terentium Afranius omnibus comic is praefert.’