-
This period in theater was where it all began. The Greek Gods influenced and were featured in many theatrical performances (Brockett et.al. 61). Masks were very common in Greek and Roman theatrical performances. Many Roman plays were adapted from Greek plays. This time period began a whole new world of entertainment and bringing things to life. From the famous "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles to Emperor Justinian who tried to permanently ban theatre, Greek and Roman theatre was a time to remember.
-
In 534 B.C., the first known record of a theatrical event took place in Athens when Thespis, the earliest playwright and actor, won a contest for the best tragedy. This contest took place at a festival in the City of Dionysia where each writer had to present four plays of different categories, (Brockett et. al. 67). The term "thespian" was derived from his name meaning actor. Thespis had great influence on Ancient Greek theatre being one of the first producers and actor ("Life of Thespis"). -
The first known performance of the well-known play, "Oedipus Rex" was believed to be performed around 429 B.C., (Brockett et. al. 63). "Oedipus Rex" Centers around this guy that is given a prophesy. The prophesy states that he will one day murder his father and marry his mother. Back in this time era, prophecies were given to help avoid future struggles or foresee hardships that may come later in life. This play was a great hit and is still performed today ("The Plot of Oedipus the King"). -
Aristophanes was a Roman playwright who typically wrote comedic plays. He wrote forty different plays but only eleven of them survived. Of the surviving plays, "Frogs" is one of his most popular. This particular play centers around Dionysus, the God of wine and ecstasy. He is a comedic character in this story. Aristophanes' "Frogs" gained so much popularity in its time that the performance placed first at the festival of Dionysus in Athens. ("Aristophanes"). -
The theatre at Epidaurus is known to be the "best preserved of all the Ancient Greek theatres", and it is still used today, (Brockett. et. al. 65). At this theatre, even the back row is able to hear actors on stage with no amplification. This is due to the theaters' structure. It was built on the slope of Mt. Kynortio. Every summer there is a festival called the "Athens-Epidaurus Festival" to celebrate acclaimed dramas from the past and the history of Greece (Dilouambaka). -
Livius Andronicus was a famous ancient Greek playwright. He was imported by Rome to share the styles off Greek drama (Brockett Et Al. 77). Some of his famous plays include "Achilles", "Aegisthus", "Aiax Mastigophorus" and "Danae". At first, Greek plays became famous and peaked. In 150 B.C., they came to an end. In addition, the Romans began adapting their own styles of theater. Rome favored a certain type of performance that Andronicus had introduced. Andronicus lived from 284 B.C. to 204 B.C. -
Plautus and Terrence were two playwrights who wrote twenty-six surviving Roman comedies (Brockett Et. Al. 78). Both writers based their plays off Greek dramas. It was said that "the plays of Plautus were written for the people," (Ford 25). The plays were "Romanized" by bringing in elements of Roman culture. Both Plautus and Terrence share many similarities. For example, both of them use prologues in their plays. They also both wrote many comedies. Both playwrights influenced the Roman comedy.
-
Lucius Accius is known to be one of the most famous Roman tragic poets. He is the writer of "Didascalica" which is Greek and Latin poetry ("Lucius Accius"). He was also a playwright. His plays often contain tragic scenes such as his play "Decius and Brutus". One of the lines from a poem reads "let them hate so long as they fear". This quote is one of his most popular. It means that people might hate you, but that's okay as long as they fear you. Moreover, to be feared is better than being hated. -
"The Mother-in-Law" is a play about a girl, Philumena, who is supposed to marry a guy named Pamphilus. Pamphilus had broken off an affair with another woman to be with her; however, Philumena ran away. She had gotten raped by an unknown man two months before the wedding. This caused her to flee to her parents. Everyone thought she left because Pamphilis's mother (her Mother-in-Law) had insulted her in a way. This play was performed in 160 B.C. and was a big hit (Chronolibrarian). -
The Carmen Secular was a hymn preformed in 17 B.C. It was commissioned by the Roman Emperor Augustus. It was written by the Roman lyric poet Horace and is considered an ode or a hymn. It contains lyrics revolving around Gods such as Diana, Jupiter, and Venus. The lyrical poem is "a collection fo versus encouraging the restoration of tradition", (Ancientadmin). The hymn was preformed at the Secular Games in Rome. The chorus consisted of twenty-seven maidens and the same number of youth. -
The Zliten Mosaic is a mosaic created by artist Moses Hadas. The mosaic is of an animal hunting contest between gladiators. Back in this time, gladiators were seen as entertainment. They were typically men who fought other men or wild animals in a theater. Gladiator fights were popular in this time period.The beautiful mosaic is believed to have been created around the 100s (or 2nd century) A.D. ("Zliten Mosaic"). -
Emperor Justinian ruled Rome from 527 A.D. to 565 A.D. He was know to be a a follower of Christ. His reasoning behind banning theatre was because the Church believed theatre to be a residual of the pagan world. Back then, pagans were considered worshipers of religions other than Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. If you were a pagan, you were not accepted in society. Justinian's attempt to ban theatre had failed because people still carried on with theatre related activities, (Desk). -
Macquarie University Department of Ancient History - City Of Rome. “Nice Theatre, But Didn't They Kill Caesar Here?” MQ Ancient History: City of Rome Blog, 24 Feb. 2019, ancient-history-blog.mq.edu.au/cityOfRome/Theatre-of-Pompey.
“The Plot of OEDIPUS THE KING.” The Randolph College Greek Play, 30 Apr. 2018, www.randolphcollege.edu/greekplay/plot-oedipus-king.
“Thespis.” Life of Thespis | Ancient Athens, 2010, www.ancientathens.org/people/thespis. -
Milošević, Peter. “Mosaic depicting a crowned Justinian”, Wikipedia, 27 April 2015, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justinian_I#/media/File:Mosaic_of_Justinianus_I_-_Basilica_San_Vitale_(Ravenna).jpgMosaic depicting a crowned Justinian”, Wikipedia, 27 April 2015, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justinian_I#/media/File:Mosaic_of_Justinianus_I_-_Basilica_San_Vitale_(Ravenna).jpgMosaic depicting a crowned Justinian
-
“The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus”, Greeka, https://www.greeka.com/peloponnese/epidaurus/architecture/
“Thespis with a mask in a Roman statue”, Blogspot, 23 November 2018, https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S_BeYzB6FPM/W_e9ffrGotI/AAAAAAAAMx8/3FipsppzmI0aGHb3dJKm67f_0TCw9lL3wCLcBGAs/s1600/Thespis--mask.png
Tskhondia, Lasha. “Theatre of Pompey”, Wikipedia, 30 September 2012, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Theatre_of_Pompey_3D_cut_out.png -
“Aristophanes | The Core Curriculum.” Columbia College, 2021, www.college.columbia.edu/core/content/aristophanes.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Lucius Accius". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lucius-Accius. Accessed 6 July 2021.
Central Desk. “Byzantine Period of Pakistan.” Dispatch News Desk, 23 Apr. 2021, dnd.com.pk/byzantine-period-of-pakistan/244987. -
“Chapter 4: Festival Theatre”, The Essential Theatre, by Oscar G. Brockett et. Al., Cengage Learning, 2017, pp. 61-100
Chronolibrarian, View All Posts By. “145. Hecyra (The Mother-in-Law) by Terence (c.165 BC).” Chronolit, 30 Sept. 2017, chronolit.com/2017/10/01/145-hecyra-the-mother-in-law-by-terence-c-165-bc. -
Dilouambaka, Ethel. “A Very Brief History Of Epidaurus Ancient Theater, Greece.” Culture Trip, 8 Dec. 2016, theculturetrip.com/europe/greece/articles/a-very-brief-history-of-epidaurus-ancient-theater-greece.
Ford, C. Ruth, "Contrast of Plautus and Terence." (1937). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1783. https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/1783 -
Harrison, George. “Project MUSE - Roman Historical Drama: The Octavia in Antiquity and Beyond by Patrick Kragelund (Review).” Project Muse, 2017, muse.jhu.edu/article/648016/summary.
"Livius Andronicus, Lucius." Oxford Reference. . . Date of access 6 Jul. 2021, https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100110323 -
“Aristophanes”, Getty Images, http://t1.gstatic.com/licensed-image?q=tbn:ANd9GcTd56WVhBXDqVKD5tCNb4aoZBjh0y2t7M7xjnM6Fh3xNqRj4W4YDpHPw0q8_DZ4
“Lucius Accius”, Good Reads, 28 August 2013, https://www.goodreads.com/photo/author/7242526.Lucius_Accius
“Lucius Livius Andronicus”, Wikipedia, 13 March 2009, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livius_Andronicus#/media/File:Pompeii_-_Casa_del_Poeta_Tragico_-_Theater_3.jpg -
“Oedipus Rex (1957)”, Blogspot, 13 February 2019, https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LrF84H1hjDI/XGPZPNjpEqI/AAAAAAAAOFU/nC-VPtX2m2QMZb_ev899kbRm-5-Xn1r2gCLcBGAs/s1600/OedipusRex01.jpg
Riley, Henry. “HECYRA; THE MOTHER-IN-LAW. A COMEDY of TERENCE (a.k.a. Publius Terentius Afer)”, Rakuton Kobo, https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hecyra-the-mother-in-law-a-comedy
Hadas, Moses. “Zliten Mosaic.” Imperial Rome, 1965, penelope.uchicago.edu/%7Egrout/encyclopaedia_romana/gladiators/zliten.html.
