ROMAN LAUGHTER

1. ROMAN LAUGHTER

3. Comedy in Italy • 6th - 5th century BCEEPICHARMUS a Sicilian writer of comedy • 4th-3rd century Attic style comedy • Native forms of entertainment • 3rd Greek style plays in Latin

4. Traditional Latin entertainment: • Fescennine ritual jokes • Satura‘medley’ • Atellane Oscan farce

5. Fescennine • Originated at harvest festivals • Improvised at weddings and triumphs;

6. Versus fescennini 2 • “Urbani servate uxores, moechum calvom adducimus” Suet. Iul. 51 “Citizens, hide your wives, We are brining in the bald ******

7. Caesar’s soldiers were also mocking his meager vegetarian diet while in on campaign in Dyrrahium

8. Atellanae • Oscan farce performed by amateurs,involving stock characters • Maccus, the fool • Bucco the glutton • Dossenus the smart and cynical hunchback

9. Maccus or Dossenus • wearing platform shoes

13. Satura • ‘Medley’ • a dramatic libretto • flute music • performed by professional actors—histriones (name borrowed from the Etruscan name for masked dancers).

14. Tragedy and Comedy • Were performed on festive days named LUDI

15. Ludi = days of entertainment • Included circus, gladiatorial shows, and theater (ludi scaenici) • Their numbers evolved from 55 days per year under the Republic through 77 days in the 1st century CE to 177 in 4th century CE.

16. Ludi… • Ludi Romani September from 213 BCE Ludi plebeii November from 194 BCE LATER also • Ludi Megalenses April • Ludi Apolinares July • Triumphs • Funerals • One play a day, c. 3 hours.

17. Ludi scaenici • Free admission for everyone (including women and slaves) • Plays were staged originally in temporary settings, then from 1st century BCE onwards in permanent theaters. • Introduced in 363 BCE • First drama performed in 240 BCE