Rome 750 BCE Rome founded Etruria – 650 – 450 BCE Included modern Pisa and Siena =Tuscany 391 - Romans subjugate the Etruscans

RomeRepublic – 509 – 27 BCE Roman theatre was associated with festivals Tragedy&Comedy w/o philosophy or questioning Roman values, borrowed from Greeks without being too “Greek” about it. Punic Wars = Rome vs. Carthage (North Africa) Rome’s victory resulted in control of the central and western Mediterranean region

Empire – 27 BCE – 476 CE Move toward “dictatorship” led by the emperior Theatre and Entertainment Variety shows filled with spectacle and thrills Bread and Circus Collapse of Western Empire – 476 CE End of Byzantium (Eastern) Empire - 1453

Theatre and Roman Religion Originally Roman religion embraced theatre Ludi Romani

Emperor Constantine converts to Christianity 4th century C.E.

Theatre is considered pagan Penalties for attending theatre/entertainment instead of church

The Decline of Roman Theatre Coincided with the downfall of the western Roman empire and the sacking of Rome by barbarian tribes Rise of Christianity also contributed Period of dispersal and loss of Greek and Roman knowledge after fall of Rome: the dark ages © 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Dramatic Criticism in Rome Like Roman drama, Roman dramatic criticism was based on the work of others, especially Aristotle The best-known writer of dramatic theory and criticism in the Roman world was Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) Horace © 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Culver Pictures)

Roman Comedy, Roman Tragedy Plautus (Titus Maccius Plautus) The Menaechmi Terence (Publius Terentuis Afer) Seneca (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) Plautus (New York Public Library, Picture Collection) Terence (New York Public Library, Picture Collection) © 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Influences on Roman Theatre/Performance G – A – M – E - S Greek Theatre Atellan Farces – North Italy Mimes – South Italy and Greece Etruscan Festivals- north of Rome Spectacle, Sport and Popular Entertainment

Roman Comedy Romans liked the Greek New Comedies Took the form and created their own Changes Romans made include No chorus Additional musical accompaniment Plautus’ plays could have 2/3 singing making similar to our musical comedies (Forum) Eavesdropping which lead to misunderstandings and complications

Greek Theatre - Fabula Palliata Pallium-word to describe Greek dress

Terence (Publius Terentius Afef) 185-159 BCE Wrote comedies Borrowed heavily from the Greek comedies to the extent of copying the plays Liked to combine elements from two plays and put it into one play Former slave Possibly the first major African playwright in the western theatre (His name “Afef” means from Africa) Used as literary model for Middle Ages and Renaissance Humor is verbal

Plautus 254 – 184 BCE Started as an actor Just before Terence Started as an actor Wrote his plays by combining song, dance, and native Italian farce with the characters and plots from Hellenistic Greek comedies (New Comedy) His comedies were often sung, some up to 2/3 of the play, they were like modern musical comedies Though he borrowed from others, his plays went on to inspire writers in the Renaissance including Shakespeare and Moliere. No chorus, did not deal with social or political issue Miles Gloriosus and Pseudolus

Fabula togata Roman dress; toga Plautus borrowed from togata No plays survived with only three known writers Togata not as popular as Palliata Latin comedy based on incidents of contemporary daily life in Roman towns; Its alternative name was tabernaria, from taberna, a poor man's house. Smaller Cast, plot simpler, less restrained by social conventions, and more overtly sexual, than in the imported palliata.

Huge influence on future writers Menaechmi used as basis for Comedy of Errors - Shakespeare

Roman Comedy slapstick characters and pratfalls were welded onto the tradition of Greek New Comedy, which was imported into Rome after its conquest of Greece New Comedy is the ancestor of sitcoms, with plots focusing on domestic issues, usually involving boy-meets-girl-parents-forbid-marriage and the intervention of a clever slave to save the day. (like Forum) Roman comic playwrights added lively action, ferocious puns, rude jokes, and lots of physical comedy.

These plays were performed at religious festivals sponsored by junior officials in the Roman government. The audience were rowdy drama competed for audience attention with tightrope walkers, jugglers, and gladiatorial combats.

Roman Tragedy Early Roman Tragedy – no surviving plays Later Tragedy Like comedy- two styles Fabula crepidata-Greek (a Greek shoe always worn with the pallium.) Fabula praetexta – Roman Roman tragedies that survive, all but one is by Seneca (4 BCE – 65 CE) The only surviving praetexta is not believed to have been written by Seneca, but the play features him as a character

Seneca http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2008/03/21/senecas-top-10-fundamentals-for-finding-happiness/

Seneca 4BCE-65CE Born in Cordoba, Spain but sent to Rome at early age. Wrote about stoicism but his life was not stoic Noted orator and politician Exiled twice from Rome, once due to Caligula’s jealousy and once adultery with the Emperor’s niece and political reasons Chief tutor and later advisor to Nero Nero asked Seneca to kill himself, which he did

Seneca’s Tragedies like the Greeks May have been written as “closet dramas” Similar to Greek tragedies and plots are based on Greek tales Used a chorus

Seneca’s plays were different from the Greeks Violence was seen on stage whereas the Greeks had violence unseen Characters do not have tragic flaws but are overcome by emotions. Ex. Revenge Supernatural beings appear in plays; ghosts Long monologues (soliloquies) Plays come off as melodramatic Influenced Renaissance playwrights Hamlet is described as a Senecan revenge tragedy

Seneca Born in Spain, educated in Rome Taught Nero who became Emperor Plays were probably never performed in Rome’s public theatres Because plays survived, his work was very influential on renaissance writers

Seneca’s influence on Renaissance writers Divided play into 5 episodes, Renaissance adopted the 5 act play format Elaborate speeches Morality – unrestrained emotion leads to evil Scenes of violence and horror Magic, death and human and superhuman worlds Characters dominated with a single obsessive passion that drives them to doom – psychological motivations and unified characters Technical devices – asides, soliloquies, confidantes

Atellan Farce Masked performers Stock Characters Closest surviving tradition- Commedia dell'arte

Atellan Farce – fabula Atellana Town of Atella, near modern Naples Farces probably imported to Rome around 275 BCE Probably derived from southern Italian mimes who probably came from Greek mimes Short performances, largely improvised and based on domestic situations or myths Stock characters with fixed costume and mask

Atellan Farce

Influenced Commedia and later, Punch and Judy

Greek Mimes – Southern Italian Mimes (fabula riciniata)

Phlyakes

Roman Comedies had stock characters Ex. Plautus Clever Servant

Etruscan influences Etruria – Kingdom north of Rome Etruscan Culture Religious Festivals (partly religious, partly secular) Included a variety of activities Acting Flute playing Dancing Juggling Prize fighting

Musicians and Dancers imported from Etruria to appease Gods Rituals were often performed with masks and with music

Roman Perfectionist Etruscans and Romans believed religious parts of festivals should be perfect, without mistakes. Any mistakes meant the festival was repeated. Instauratio – repetition due to mistakes ludi Romani repeated 11 times between 214-200 BCE ludi Plebii repeated seven times in one year Rome had up to 170 sacred days in a year, 101 of the involved theatre

Ludi Romani Tarquin (616-579 BCE)establish ludi Romani Oldest Roman festival Featured Greek Drama Also chariot races, boxing and other entertainments The Ludi Romani took up half the month of September (5th to 19th).  Latin word ludus means "game," "play" (as opposed to work), or "sport." 

Ludi (games) and feriae (holiday) In 100 BC various ludi took up 57 days of the year, while by the fourth century AD they occupied 177 days.  

Popular Entertainment Under the Empire – “Bread and Circus” Wealth, slave labor, grain allowances all lead for free time for free people Roman’s were like our modern channel switchers 354 CE Theatre staged on 100 days with 75 days for chariot races and gladiatorial sports, all associated with a festival.

Popular Entertainments Circus like entertainments Chariot racing Trick riding and horse races Mock battles including sea battles Fighting Prize fighting, wrestling, gladiators, animals Romans taken by the games involving life and death

Circus Maximus

Flavian Amphitheater or the Coliseum - 80 AD Flavian Amphitheater or the Coliseum - 80 AD. 9000 animals died in inagural 100 days

Banned Permanent Stone Theatres banned in Rome Used wooden structures Above based on wall paintings in Rome and Pompeii this one, used for performances at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, CA, October 1994.

Roman Theatre Entertainment and Bread and Circuses Many slaves to do mundane labor Placed many out of work, left the country for city Much of Rome’s populace was poor and many unemployed. This is a recipe for disaster if they’re not kept occupied. Emperor’s, at state expense, would put on massive entertainment events. Chariot races at the Circus Maximus. Gladiator battles at the Colosseum. Parades, theatre, etc. Everybody also got grain rations. Roman Theatre First theatre was performed in temporary venues Some attempts were made to build permanent theatres around 170 BCE – 150 BCE but stopped do to the belief that theatre would be harmful to public morality Sitting at theatre events prohibited by Senate to promote manly Roman values 146 - Rome sacks Corinth and makes all of Greece a Roman province; 145 BC L. Mummius built a wooden theater with seats to celebrate his triumphs.  Plautus’ and Terence’s plays were never performed in permanent theaters in their lifetimes

Rome eventually built theatres

Le Théâtre Antique d'Orange

Bosra, Syria

Roman Theatres Freestanding structures with tiered audience section Seating area generally larger than Greeks Semicircular orchestra

Antalya, Turkey

Pompey Theatre, Rome 55 BC Pompey erected the first permanent stone theater at Rome. Some opposition to theatre in Rome Too Greek Just for entertainment and not to please the gods A temple of Venus was placed at the top of the seating area so that the rows of seats appeared to be steps leading up to the temple to appease opposition

Roman Theatre Terms Cavea – the seating area, like the Greeks theatron Orchestra – like the Greek orchestra Scaena – skene or scene house Pulpitum – raised platform stage Auleum – front curtain raised and lowered on telescoping poles Siparium - backdrop

Roman Comic Actors The actors of Roman comedy were all men five actors shared out all the different roles The costumes consisted of a tunic and a pallium, long for female characters and short for male characters. The actors also wore masks, wildly distorted stereotypes, not very realistic funny.

The Roman empire in AD 180 with the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius

The split The empire is eventually and officially divided into two halves: the western and eastern Roman empires.