2.03 Roman

Roman Theatre

In the times of Roman Empire, many forms of entertainment were held in the amphitheater, the architectural term referring to a building, usually oval, circular, or arc shaped in which tiers of seats rise from a central area that is open. This included athletic events, music and dance, animal shows, chariot races, gladiator battles, and theater.  These buildings differed from their Greek counterparts because Roman engineering and architecture was more advanced.  In Greece, the theaters were built into the side of the mountain, but in Roman times, they were free standing structures, like the Coliseum, shown below. 

The Coliseum in Rome, Italy

An ancient Roman amphitheater in Bosra, Syria

→ »

Scaenae frons

In the architecture for the Roman theaters, a permanent backdrop stage setting called a Scaenae frons was constructed that was utilized in both comedies and tragedies. There were various doors that served as entrances and exits for the actors.

• In a comedy, the doors would represent homes of the various characters.
• In a tragedy, the Scaenae frons represented a palace or temple.

An ancient Roman amphitheater in Palmyra, Syria with Scaenae frons.

« »

Comedies and Tragedies

Roman theatre was similar to the theatre of Ancient Greece in that the two main forms of plays were comedies and tragedies. The Roman playwrights usually used the same plots from Greek plays for their performances. One major difference in the productions, however, was that the Romans incorporated background music into their theatre, much like a soundtrack in today’s movies.

There are many titles of plays from the Roman Empire listed in government and festival records that have been found by archeologists and anthropologists, but only a handful of actual plays have survived. 

Tragedies

Most of the tragedies that have survived have been from a playwright and philosopher named Seneca who lived from 5 B.C. to 65 A.D.  In all, 9 of his tragedies have survived and all are based on Greek plays. 

Statue of Seneca

Comedies

Most surviving comedies were by two playwrights: Titus Plautus (254 B.C. – 184 B.C.) and Terence (190 B.C. – 159 B.C.).

The frontispiece of the Vatican Terence or Codex Vaticanus Latinus 3868, an illuminated manuscript from the 9th century of the comedies by Publius Terentius Afer (also known as Terence), depicts the author. Image is in the public domain. See larger version here.

Both the tragedies and the comedies followed the same form as their Greek predecessors.  The true innovation of Roman theatre was the architecture and engineering that the Roman Empire devoted to the building of theaters. 

 

« ←