THAR 280 Lecture 11: Theatre of Ancient Rome
6 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Peak of power/ influence in 6th century bce. Began as a small town and quickly grew into a vast empire. Unlike the greeks, who excelled in intellectual and artistic endeavors, the romans achieved greatness in their military, political, and social institutions. Roman plays were translations or adaptations of greek originals. Atella in the campania region of southern italy. Base subject matter (cheating, gluttony, fighting, sex) Instant audience expectation: memories of previous performances, assumptions and biases, easily recognizable traits (physical, verbal, behavioral) Greek old comedy: the alason (the boastful imposter), the eiron (used self deprecating irony to deflate the alazon), the bomolochus (the clown) Ludi romani since 3rd century bce but never written down until 100-75 bce. 364 bce began to include theatrical performances and 240 bce regular comedy and tragedy presented. Directly comparable to the athenian city dionysia. Roman spectacles: chariot races, theatrical performances, honor of some god. State sponsored theatrical performances: religions festivals or ludi.
