GREEK MIMES

Mime term applied indiscriminately both to scripts and performers Short playlets, mimetic dance, imitation of animals, singing, acrobatics and so on Probably the first professional entertainers Short mime playlets originated in Megara in 6th century B.C.

ROMAN THEATRE AND DRAMA

753 B.C. Rome was founded 4th century began to expand 265 B.C. controlled the Italian Peninsula Between 270 & 240 B.C. took several Greek territories 240 B.C. beginning of Roman theatre

ETRUSCAN ANTECEDENTS

Etruria dominant influence on Roman theatrical activities Rome inherited many features of its religious festivals

THE ROMAN CONTEXT

146 B.C Rome had conquered Greece Two phases of Romes history:

1. The Republic republican virtues 2. The Empire regular dramas were abandoned

Romans placed more emphasis on the form as on the substance of religious ceremonies

ROMAN FESTIVALS
Ludi official religious festivals Ludi Romani oldest of the official festivals Instauratio repetition of Ludi Romani Ludi Plebeii seven times in one year

DRAMA UNDER THE ROMANS

Roman literature began with Livius Andronicus Gnaeus Naevius first native-born dramatist Plautus & Terence authors of the only surviving Roman comedies

Titus Maccius Plautus first important successor to Andronicus and Naevius Publius Terentius Afer does not lie in intrigue but character and the double plots

Fabula Palliata comedy based on Greek originals Fabula Togata comedy based on Roman materials Lucius Annaeus Seneca famous for his works on rhetoric and philosophy

1. Five-act form was standard 2. Elaborate speeches 3. Interest on morality

 4. Scenes of violence and horror 5. Pre occupation with magic, death and interpretation of human and superhuman worlds 6. Creation of characters Technical devices were taken over by later authors

Fabulae Atellanae 300 400 lines

Subject matters: cheating, gluttony, fighting or sexual exploits 4 stock characters: 1. Bucco 2.Papus 3. Maccus 4. Dossenus

Fabula Riciniata (mime)

Republic:
Ludi Florales festival honoring one of the fertility goddesses

Empire:
Dramatic form, usually short but elaborate and complex Helioglabalus ordered sexual acts to be performed realistically

Fabula Saltica (Pantomime)

Popular story telling dance Plots more usually taken from mythology or history Action was accompanied by a chorus or orchestra Pylades and Bathyllus introduced pantomime to Rome