How did Plautus and Terence spread the influence of Greek New Comedy?

Plautus and Terence were instrumental in preserving and spreading the influence of Greek New Comedy by adapting it into the Roman genre known as fabula palliata, or "play in Greek dress." Through these adaptations, they ensured that the conventions of Greek comedy—such as stock characters and plots involving romantic intrigue—reached later generations of European dramatists.12

Their approaches differed, shaping the genre's legacy in distinct ways:

• Plautus: He exercised significant creative freedom, blending Greek models with native Italian farce and Roman customs, place-names, and colloquial Latin. His boisterous, slapstick style and vivid character types, such as the braggart soldier, became foundational for Western comedy, influencing writers from Shakespeare to Molière.132
• Terence: He remained more faithful to the spirit and structure of his Greek originals, particularly Menander. His work, noted for its refined language, psychological depth, and ingenious plot construction, served as a model of pure Latin and became a cornerstone for the development of the comedy of manners in European theatre.145

By translating and reinterpreting these Greek works, Plautus and Terence acted as the primary conduits through which the traditions of New Comedy survived the decline of the ancient world to influence the Renaissance and beyond.13