The+Devlopment+of+Roman+Theater

Drama had existed in Rome since 364 BC, but it wasn't until the expansion into Greece around the year 240 BC that Roman theater began to evolve into full-fledged, scripted plays. They were first introduced to Rome by the writer Livius Andronicus, born in a Greek city in Southern Italy. It was greatly influenced by the Greek works before, and the only surviving comedies that survived are based on Greek subjects. They still developed their own styles, abolishing the chorus and using musical accompaniment. The drama in Rome slowly declined after the second century BC, and was replaced by mime and pantomime.

**Early Theatrical Performance**
Before the introduction of Greek plays, theatrical performance was limited to the dances with musical accompaniment preformed by the Etruscan, the native people of Italy, and the Atellan farces. The traits of these farces included, shortened length, the use of stock characters, and improvisation. They still played an important role later as Roman playwrights combined these traits with more classic Greek theater.

**The Introduction of Greek Plays**
Then, in 240 BC, traditional plays, long in length with a set script, were introduced by a Greek born in Italy; his name was Livius Andronicus. The earliest plays to make to the modern day, however, were written by Plautus, from circa 205. Dramas were usually played as part of Religious ceremonies, especially tragedies. Many borrowed from Greek plays, adapting their work for contemporary audiences. Some focused on Roman history and myths. All followed the general Greek format.

The second century BC is considered the Golden Age for Roman drama. Many famous Roman playwrights lived during this period:
 * Terence, whose six plays all survived, wrote comedies adapted for the more modern audiences. His plays survived because they were popular during not only the Roman period, but throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
 * Gnaeus Naevius, 270 BC to 201 BC, exceeded in both tragedy and comedy.
 * Quintus Ennius, 239 BC to 169 BC, wrote many comedies, satires, and tragedies, but is best known for his tragedies. He wrote an epic on Roman history, in which he introduces himself as a reincarnated Homer.
 * Seneca, who wrote the only surviving tragedies.
 * Pomponius Secundus was the last playwright to have his work publicly preformed.

**Tragedy**
Very few tragedies still exist. Those that do closely resemble the standard Greek formula, involving tragic heroes of high status with human flaws, with an emphasis on the will of the gods and fate. There was an introduction of more sensationalist and gruesome scenes and plots, possibly due to competition from the amphitheaters. Tragedies were preformed during Roman religious ceremonies, and there was a general feeling of community cleansing accompanied

**Comedy**
Roman comedy was greatly influenced by Greek comedy; even though it was influenced many aspects of Greek tragedy were forgotten as the Romans added their own twist to comedy. In Roman Theater there comedies were based on a couple of different topics. These topics contained, political satire, which would poke fun at the government, slap-stick humor, which contains chases, collisions and political jokes and risque humor which is based around sexual jokes. These plays were performed on temporary theaters that were raised off of the ground. On the right side of the stage was usually the forum and on the left side was usually the countryside. Comedies were performed most often during special occasions whether it was their Saturnalia or if they were celebrating a recent military victory, or if there was a recent death.

**Mime**
As Rome was ever changing, so was its theater. The theater was supposed to please the public; the two most successful genres were mime and pantomime. Mimes were often shown on rough wooden stages, set up in the streets. These mimes were very different compared to today’s mimes. Some of the differences were that Roman mimes actually talked, mime acts were usually crude humor, rather than storytelling. Mime actors never wore masks and more important women roles were played by actual women.

**Pantomime**
Pantomime, or called the “Italian dance”, even though it was supposedly found by two Greeks, Pylades of Cilicia and Bathyllus of Alexandria, was the most sophisticated art. Masked dancers were in charge of the performance, as they danced around the stage, with masks on, usually miming the action of a story, based on some mythological character. Dance, acting and music was combined in these performances, but most of the action was performed by the panto-mimus, or the ‘one who imitates all things.” The panto-mimus was supported by his cast, the chorus and musicians.

===**Structural Differences**===

They were primarily adaptations of Greek Comedies. During this time, plays were preformed temporary wooden stages, it was not until 58 BC that a permanent theater was built in Italy, and Rome did not have a permanent theater until 55 BC. It differed in several ways from the traditional Greek theater. Roman theaters had to fight against the terrain, whereas the Greeks were able to construct their theaters on hill sides. The Roman theaters would use structural support to hold up the seating. It would become the template on which all Roman theaters would be based.

**The Amphitheater**
Amphitheaters were popular venues where pitched battles between slaves and professional alike would take place. It is believed that this form of entertainment "leaked" out into Roman theater. Violent characters and situations were common in Roman tragedies. It could have also had an effect on the later Roman mimes and pantomimes.

**Sources cited**
Klar, Luara S. "Theater and Amphitheater in the Roman World | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." //The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home//. Web. 01 Oct. 2011. .

Sienkewicz, Tom. "Features of Roman Comedy." New Page 1. Monmouth College. Web. 01 Oct. 2011. <@http://department.monm.edu/classics/courses/CLAS210/CourseDocuments/features_of_roman_comedy.html>

Connolly, Peter, and Hazel Dodge. The Ancient City: Life in Classical Athens & Rome. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1998. Print.

James, Simon. Eyewitness Ancient Rome. New York, NY: DK Pub., 2004. Print.