Roman Theatre Notes
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As Greece declined in power and importance, another civilization began to
emerge in Europe, on the Italian peninsula. Its center was the city of Rome,
from which it took its name.
History of Rome
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According to legend, Rome was founded around 750 B.C. and for over 200
years was ruled by a series of kings.
Around 500 B.C. the kings were over-thrown and a republic was
established, which lasted nearly 500 years.
During the early years of the republic, there were three main classes in
Rome:
o Patricians – the rich upper class who ruled the country through the
Senate
o Plebeians – ordinary citizens who gradually gained an equal voice in
government through a people’s assembly
o Slaves – who made up roughly half of the population.
During the first century BC, the Roman republic began to show signs of
strain.
o It faced difficulties in maintaining the checks and balances of its own
political system.
o Rome now had gained control of far out territories so the problems
of governing such a large area led to upheavals and wars.
In the midst of this turmoil, Julius Caesar made himself dictator
o He was subsequently assassinated by a group led by Brutus, who in
turn was defeated in battle by Mark Antony and Octavious.
o These events are the basis of Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar
The republic could not survive these shocks, and in 27 BC, Rome became
an empire with one supreme ruler.
o This form of government continued for several centuries, during
which most of the civilized western world was unified under Roman
rule.
o The Roman empire included most of the lands bordering on the
Mediterranean sea and all of Europe through what is now Spain,
France, Britain, and the Balkans.
Religion was of the utmost importance in Roman history. The Romans
worshipped gods who were counterparts of the Greek deities, and also a
large number of other divinities.
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o They continued to add gods that were worshipped by people they
conquered.
o Romans also staged religious festivals that incorporated elements of
theatre.
The emergence of Christianity had a profound influence on the Roman
world.
o The Romans persecuted the early Christians, but in the 4th century,
the emperor Constantine was converted to the new belief
o This began the eventual conversion of much of the Roman world to
Christianity.
o The original religions of Greece and Rome had condoned theatre, but
the early Christians considered it pagan and therefore evil.
o The church was to be a contributing factor in the decline of theatre
during the later years of the Roman empire.
Development of Roman Theatre
Let’s now look at the theatre that flourished in Rome and why it is significant for
us today
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Whereas Greece had been noted for creativity and imagination in art,
architecture, and philosophy – Rome came to be known for mastery of
more practical arts: law, engineering, and military conquest.
Instead of concentrating on high-minded tragedy, Roman theatre focused
on comedy and other popular entertainments, comparable to our own
movies, television, and rock concerts.
From the Greek New Comedy, the Romans developed a form of domestic
farce
o It has continued to have an influence straight through to today’s
situation comedies on television.
o Atellan Farce –
 Developed as a result of contact with Greek performers who
had traveled into southern Italy.
 They were improvised and dealt with exaggerated family
problems
 They also made fun of historical or mythological figures
 The plays featured recurring stereotyped characters who wore
masks and stock costumes
 They satirized people from the Roman countryside who were
motivated by base instincts, such as lust and greed
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This type of humor also occurs in modern comedies,
which frequently poke fun at “country bumpkins.”
The most important influence on Roman theatre, however, was actually
Greek theatre.
o Between 250 and 150 BC, Roman civilization came into close contact
with Greek culture.
o In sculpture, architecture, art, and virtually all other forms of culture,
the Romans were strongly affected by the Greeks and borrowed
freely from them
o The Romans were aware of Greek theatre practices and Greek forms
such as tragedy, but it was the Greek New Comedy that the Roman
writers felt a connection to.
The Romans are not known for innovations in theatre or for fostering
theatre as a high art. Rather, they adapted theatrical practices derived from
the Greeks and other cultures and used them for their own purposes.
o The Romans are significant, then, because of their development of
theatre as popular entertainment.
This entertainment was designed in large measure to meet the demands of
Roman audiences.
o Rome’s many conquests led to prosperity for its citizens, who,
because of their wealth and slave labor, had an abundance of leisure
time.
o To help fill that time, theatre was offered not just at a few festivals,
but many times during the year.
The first major Roman festival to incorporate theatre was the Ludi Romani.
o Additional festivals eventually incorporated theatre, and more days
were set aside for minor festivities and theatrical activities during the
republic and the empire.
o Historians estimate that after the year 250, theatrical presentations
were staged on 100 days of the year.
Despite this extensive theatrical activity, and despite the fact that Roman
theatre flourished for nearly seven centuries, the works of only three
Roman playwrights have survived: Plautus, Terence, and Seneca.
There are only bits and pieces of information about the playwrights who
preceded them.
It is believed that the first playwright who was born a Roman citizen was
Gnaeus Naevious
o He was especially noted for his comedies, which dramatized Roman
subject matter.
Roman Comedy
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Since Roman playwrights had a special love for Greek New Comedy, they
took the Greek form and perfected their own brand of comedy, which
became immensely popular with the masses.
o Though others were written, the comedies that survived are all based
on Greek models.
o The changes Roman comic writers made in the plays and their
predecessors included were
 Elimination of the chorus (which Greek writers had used to
divide the action into episodes)
 addition of musical accompaniment to much of the dialogue
 an emphasis on eavesdropping, which led to frequent
misunderstandings and complications
Roman New Comedy is the direct ancestor of all western situation comedy;
these Roman comedies set a pattern that continued through many
centuries and reappeared in Hollywood comedies of the 1930s, in
Broadway comedies of the same period, and in the situation comedies we
see on television today.
o Plautus and Terence – two of the three Roman playwrights whose
works have survived – are both noted for comedy and are key figures
in its history.