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This chapter covers the production notice about Terence's Phormio. It talks about the performance of Phormio at the Roman Games during the curule aedileship of Lucius Postumius Albinus and Lucius Cornelius Merula. Phormio was produced by Lucius Ambivius Turpio and Lucius Atilius of Praeneste. The music composed by Flaccus, slave of Claudius, for unequal pipes throughout. It mentions Greek original Epidikazomenos (The Claimant) by Apollodorus, which was his fourth composition in the consulship of Gaius Fannius and Marcus Valerius. The production notices (didascaliae) are prefixed in the manuscripts to all plays except Andria and are also to be found paraphrased in Donatus' commentary.

This chapter cites the characters in Terence's Phormio. It includes the slave Davos and his friend Geta, who is the slave of Demipho. It mentions a young man named Antipho, who is the son of Demipho and Phaedria, who is the son of Chremes. It also refers to the old man called Demipho, who is Chremes' brother and Phormio, who is recognized as the parasite. The chapter lists legal advisers, namely Hegio, Cratinus, and Crito. Other characters include Dorio the pimp, the old man Chremes, who is demipho's brother, Sophrona, who is the nurse to Chremes' daughter, and Nausistrata, who is the wife of Chremes. It also mentions the prologue speaker and musical accompanist.

This chapter provides the text and translation of Terence's play called Phormio. It begins with Chremes' brother Demipho, who left his son Antipho in Athens while he was abroad. Chremes secretly kept a wife and daughter on Lemnos, while in Athens he had another wife and a son, whose only love was a lute-girl. The mother came from Lemnos to Athens and died. As Chremes was away, the daughter alone arranged the funeral. There Antipho saw her, fell in love with her and, with the help of a parasite named Phormio, married her. His father and Chremes return and fall into a rage. They then give the parasite thirty minae to marry the daughter himself. This money is used to buy the lute-girl. Antipho keeps his wife, who is recognised by Chremes as his daughter.

This chapter includes the manuscripts of Terence containing Phormio, such as A Vaticanus lat. 3226 (Bembinus) from the 4th or 5th century. It refers to the γ‎ manuscripts, which contain P Parisinus lat. 7899 and C Vaticanus lat. 3868 illustrated from the ninth century. It also covers the Ambrosianus H 75 inf. illustrated (lacking 832–1055) and η‎ Einsidlensis I 362 (lacking 1–643, 749–820, 856–63) from the tenth century and E Riccardianus 528 (lacking 900–1055) and v Valentiennensis 448 (420) from the eleventh century. The chapter cites the δ‎ manuscripts, such as D Laurentianus lat. 38.24 (Victorianus) (lacking 588–633) and G Vaticanus lat. 1640 (Decurtatus) and (lacking 779–1050). It consists of readings mentioned in the fourth-century commentary of Aelius Donatus and Ioviales, a fifth- or sixth-century corrector of the text.

This chapter provides the text and translation of the prologue of Terence's Phormio. It begins with the mention of the old poet, who tries to deter another poet from writing through slander. It details how the poet repeatedly asserts that the plays he has so far written are feeble in content and weak in style as has never written about a demented youth who sees a hind in flight. It also reflects on the palm of victory that is open to all who practise the poetic art. The chapter elaborates the play's purpose of bringing a new comedy which the Greeks call Eidikazomenos (The Claimant) and the Romans Phormio. It stresses how the parasite Phormio will have the leading role and direct most of the action.

This chapter provides the commentary for the play Phormio, which was written by Terence. It mentions that Phormio is the only play of Terence that does not retain the original Greek title, while in contrast, in Plautus, the majority of play titles were Romanised. It also mentions the Roman Games that were held annually in September in honour of Jupiter and the Megalensian Games that were held annually in April and were named after the Great Mother Goddess, Cybele, whose cult image was brought to Rome from Asia Minor in 205–4 BC. The chapter talks about the curule aediles, who were junior magistrates with duties to organize the games. It refers to L. Ambivius Turpio, who was a well-established actor-manager who produced all of Terence's plays and L. Atilius of Praeneste, who was named as co-producer for all Terence's plays.

This chapter begins with the life of the Roman playwright named Terence, who was born a Carthaginian slave but was freed by his Roman master, senator Terentius Lucanus, due to his brains and good looks. It explores Terence's plays, which were all adaptations into Latin of Greek New Comedy called fabulae palliatae or 'plays in Greek dress'. It also looks at the cultural climate in Rome when Terence's plays were produced in the 160s BC, noting certain changes in Rome from Plautus' day. The chapter focuses on Terence's play Phormio, which was adapted from a Greek original called Epidikazomenos (The Claimant) by Apollodorus of Carystus. It cites differences between Phormio and Epidikazomenos, emphasizing on Terence's non-dramatic prologue in his play.