Roman Republican TheatreTheatre flourished in the Roman Republic, from the tragedies of Ennius and Pacuvius to the comedies of Plautus and Terence and the mimes of Laberius. Yet apart from the surviving plays of Plautus and Terence the sources are fragmentary and difficult to interpret and contextualise. This book provides a comprehensive history of all aspects of the topic, incorporating recent findings and modern approaches. It discusses the origins of Roman drama and the historical, social and institutional backgrounds of all the dramatic genres to be found during the Republic (tragedy, praetexta, comedy, togata, Atellana, mime and pantomime). Possible general characteristics are identified, and attention is paid to the nature of and developments in the various genres. The clear structure and full bibliography also ensure that the book has value as a source of reference for all upper-level students and scholars of Latin literature and ancient drama. |
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Accius actors Afranius Amph ancient Atell Atellana attested bce cf Blänsdorf Brut Caecilius Caecilius Statius characters Cicero comic contemporary context culture developed discussion dramatic genres dramatic performances dramatists e.g. Plaut elements Ennius Epist Etruscan Euanth evidence fabula festivals fragments Gell Goldberg Greek drama Greek models Greek plays Hecyra Hellenistic Hieron included indicate instance Italy Laberius later Latin light drama literary genres literature Livius Andronicus Ludi Ludi Apollinares Macrob Manuwald Menander metatheatrical mime myths Naevius Novius Oscan Pacuvius Pall palliata pantomime particular Phorm Plautine Plautus playwrights plot poetic political Pomponius praef praetextae prologue speaker Publilius Syrus references Republican drama Republican period revivals Roman audiences Roman comedy Roman drama Roman poets Roman theatre Roman tragedy Rome scholars second century bce seems slaves stage structure Suerbaum Suet Terence Terence’s texts titles togata topics tradition Trag tragic poets Turpilius Varro versions Volcacius Sedigitus writers