Chapter 12: The Roman World Overview of Roman Drama • we owe a great debt to the Romans in terms of culture, language, politics, DNA • and also theatre, but only in certain ways – Greek terms: theatre, drama, tragedy, comedy, critic, theory, program, orchestration – Roman terms: actor, circus, perform, nudity, spectacle, media, transvestite, violence • not to mention “histrionic opera,” “sports personality,” and “stupid farce”
Chapter 12: The Roman World Overview of Roman Drama • but the Romans were, on the whole, not innovators in theatre or drama – they were mostly transmitters of Greek culture • Roman drama was largely dependent on its inimitable Greek forebear – to the Romans, theatre was a diversion and form of leisure, cf. neg-otium (“no business”) – not an art to be taken seriously per se
Chapter 12: The Roman World Overview of Roman Drama • the works of only three Roman playwrights have been preserved whole – Plautus (fl. 208-186 BCE ): 19 comedies based on Greek originals by a variety of New Comedy dramatists (Middle Comedy?) – Terence (fl. 166-160 BCE ): 6 comedies, all from Menander and Apollodorus of Carystus – Seneca (4 BCE - 65 CE ): 8 tragedies based on Greek tragedy, 1 fabula praetexta
Chapter 12: The Roman World Geography • Italy is the boot- shaped peninsula west of Greece • Alps to the north • Sicily to the south
Chapter 12: The Roman World Early Rome • myth: the Romans were Aeneas of Troy’s descendants • reality: they were a branch of the Indo- Europeans – closely related to the Celts (or Gauls )
Chapter 12: The Roman World Early Rome • myth: the early founders of the city of Rome were the twin brothers Romulus and Remus in 753 BCE BCE
Chapter 12: The Roman World Early Rome • reality: the early Romans were the subjects of the Etruscans – culturally, if not politically too • today, the Etruscans are a linguistic and historical mystery
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Republic • began in 510 BCE (or so we’re told) • governed by a Senate run by patricians • early Roman history was dominated by the “Conflict of the Orders” – the struggle for power between the patricians and the plebeians (commoners) • ultimately, the plebeians won many rights
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Republic • also the period of the development of the legion
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Republic • the Romans conquered most of Italy by 264 BCE • came into contact with Greeks living in Magna Graecia (southern Italy)
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Punic Wars • expansion brought the Romans into contact with Carthage • First Punic War (264-241 BCE ) • Second Punic War (218-202 BCE ) – Hannibal
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Punic Wars • ultimately, the Romans won the Battle of Zama (202 BCE ) • led by the general Scipio Africanus
Chapter 12: The Roman World Rome in the Second Century • the Romans were now an international power, both militarily and economically • they began expanding to the east • conquered Greece by the mid-second century BCE • the integration of Greek and Roman culture is called Hellenism
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Revolution • the rise of generals • the first was Marius – a popularis , from the lower classes – reformed the army – tied his soldiers to himself directly by paying for their armor
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Revolution • the next was Sulla – from the upper class – at first, one of Marius’ lieutenants – rose to confront Marius – attacked and defeated the Senate – became dictator
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Revolution • next up was Pompey – one of Sulla’s lieutenants – adulescens carnufex – defeated Spartacus, then the Aegean pirates – by 62 BCE , Rome’s greatest general
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Revolution • finally, Julius Caesar – from a good Roman family, but poor – had great charisma – brought together Pompey and Crassus into the First Triumvirate (60 bce)
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Revolution • Julius Caesar – became proconsul of Gaul – brought the entire area under Roman control – like Marius, Caesar tied his legions to himself, not Rome
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Revolution • Julius Caesar – crossed the Rubicon – defeated Pompey at Pharsalus – met Cleopatra in Egypt – then defeated the Senate twice more
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Revolution • Julius Caesar – with that, he was in sole control of Rome – was assassinated on March 15, 44 BCE ( Ides of March )
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Revolution • Octavian – Caesar’s teenage heir – teamed up with Mark Antony to defeat Caesar’s assassins at Philippi in 42 BCE
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Revolution • Octavian – but Antony went into league with Cleopatra – Octavian defeated them: Actium, 31 BCE
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Revolution • Octavian – became princeps • was renamed Augustus – “restored” control of the Roman state to the Senate in 27 BCE – but it was only a hollow shell of representative government
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Empire • The Pax Romana – 200 years of relative peace (27 BCE -180 CE ) – by then, Rome was run by a succession of imperatores (“generals”)
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Roman Empire • The Pax Romana – great age of prosperity and art – emperors: Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius – authors: Vergil, Horace, Ovid, Juvenal
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Colosseum
Chapter 12: The Roman World Pompeii
Chapter 12: The Roman World Pompeii
Chapter 12: The Roman World Pompeii
Chapter 12: The Roman World Pompeii
Chapter 12: The Roman World Pompeii
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Decline and Fall of Rome
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Middle Ages
Chapter 12: The Roman World The Middle Ages
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