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Italian160B1
Exam1StudyGuide
ROMANTHEATRE
GreekVs.RomanTheatre
o Greektheatrewasamateur,andpartofareligiouscelebration,whileRoman
theatrewasprofessionalizedandsecular
o TheRomantheatreconsistedoffourmainarts:
Stage
Faade
Orchestra
Auditorium
o Theatresvariedinsize,holdingfromafewhundredtoupto14,000spectators
o Giventheexpenseofpaper,ticketstothetheatreandother
o Mostauditoriumwerebuiltintohillsides
o Theatrewasperformedoutdoorsduringdaylighthours
o Auditoriumseatingwasonafirstcome,firstservebasis
PompeiiGrandTheatre
o Auditoriumseatingwascoveredwithwhitetravertinestoneandpatronsbrought
cover
TheatreatEphesus
o Refreshmentsweresoldoutsidethetheatre
Faade
o Thetheatrefaadehad35doorwaysforentranceandexits
o Doorcreakedtocallattention
o Theatrefaadecouldbesimpleorornate,oneortwo,orthreestoriestall
RomanTheatreatBosra
o Theatrescouldbeprivatelyownedorpubliclyownedandstatefunded
Thetheatreraised5to6foot
TheatreOrchestra
o Thetheatreorchestraprovidedextraplayingspaceorelsewouldbereservedand
outfittedwithspecialsettingforwealthierpatrons
o Theatreswereoftenlocatednearamphitheaters,forminganentertainmentarea
o Smallgladiatorialeventsorlarge
o Theatresmighthostgymnasts,acrobats,jugglers,circletypeperformances,
wrestling
RomanTheatre
o LikethatofancientGreeks,Romandramaincludedcomedyandtragedy
o BestplaywrightwerePlautusandTerence
o Playswerenotwrittentomakemoney,toentertain
o PlautuswasbornandraisedinapoorfamilyUmbriaincentralItaly
Hebeganasanactor
Hisextremelypopularplayswonhisfameandfortune

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Heisknownforhisboardcharacters,wordplay,andquickwitteddialogue
TerencewasborninCarthage,NorthAfrica
BroughttoRomeasaslave
Goodlooks
Moresentimentalandhave
BorrowedGreekplays
Offstageactionwasnarrated
Asidetotheaudiencewerecommon
Eavesdropping
AthensusedasasettinginsteadofRome
Actorswereusuallyslavesbelongtocompanymanager
Allroleswereperformedbymakes
By1stcentury
Actorsworemasksaccordingtothecharactertheywereplaying
Megaphonetoprojectvoice
Madeoflinenand
Maleactorsworefemalemask
Purple
Richman
Red
Poorman
Yellow
Women
Tassels
God

Music
o Flute
o Includedsongsandmusicalinterludes
o Musicbetweenplays
Mimes
o Ninesparodiedplaystexts
o Mimesfigurewereoftengrotesque
o Couldbewomen
o Lowerformoftheatre
o Heldalowerclassstatusthenactors
o Couldbeobscene
o Liveactsofsexorviolenceoccuronstage
o SuchexcessespromptedChristiancondemnationoftheatre
Dancing
o Verypopular
o Wereprizedandappreciatedfortheirskills
o InearlyRomanonlychildrenandwomendanced
o Maledancerswereslaves

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o Lackeddignityforanupperadultmaletodance
Pantomime
o Storytellingdance
o Subjectscamefrommythology
o Wealthypatriciansoftenkeptone
Music
o AdoptedfromGreek
o MusicianswereGreek
o Singingwerecommon
o UseGreeksystemofmusicnotation
o About50RomanandGreekwholecompositionsandfragmentssurvive
o Percussionincludeddrums,tambours,astanets
o Stringslyre,harp,Cythera
o Winds
Blowonpipesandflutes
Communicatingwitheachother
Reedstakenfromplants
o Reedpipesplay2atatime
o Playavarietyoftrumpetsandhorns
o Useonmilitaryparades
o Waterorgan

AFUNNYTHINGHAPPENEDONTHEWAYTOTHEFORUM

Characters
o Plautus
o Pseudolus(liar)
o MileGlorious(militaryglory)
o Dominia(mistressesdomination)
o Senex(oldmansenator)
o Populata
o Hysterium
o Erroneus(error)
o Hero(hero)
o Philia(love)
o MarcusLycus
o Tintinnabulus(ringingofthebell)
o Vibrata(movement)
o Gemini(twins)
o Gymnasia(athletic)
o Panacea(solutionstoalltheproblems)
Comedy
Socialcorrective

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satireisours
Eunuchcastratedmalesguardthefemales
Tragedytomorrow,entertainmenttoday
Nomoral
Houseswerenotconnectedtogether
Thethreedoors
Parastylefuneral

AGRICULTURE

LandOwnership
o MostwealthyRomanskeptavillaorfarmestateoutsideoftown
o Infact,thepatricianclasswasdefinedbylandownership
o Landwashemostreliablesourceofcapital
o Mostpeopleworkedtheland,butforthepatricians,thelandworkedforthem
o Mostgreatestatesusedsharecroppersratherthanslavelabor
Sharecroppersfarmfood,keptasmallproportionandpayrentwiththe
otherfraction
o Smallfarmersgenerallyheldonly25acresofland
o Landownerscouldintimidatepoorerneighborsintosharecroppingwithhostile
takeowners
o 75%ofancientRomansworkedinagriculture
o