Street drama: it's push and shove as everyone's off to the theater! Well, nearly everyone...
There's great excitement in Pompeii. It's holiday time, everyone's got the day off work, and there's a show in the theater! Not so much "Lights, camera, action" as "Masks, music and slapstick".
The Stories
Poppaea Page 61
Domestic drama: a tired, old man and a love-sick slave-girl provide some comic relief.
Practising the Language
Activities for vocabulary revision and language practice:
Test your Vocabulary is against the clock and can be set to all words in this stage, up to this stage, etc.
Word Endings exercises are based on the Practising the Language section in the Books, and follow this format. Click here for more information.
Word Endings activities are based on the Practising the Language section of each Stage, and all follow the same format. The user is given a sentence in English together with the same sentence in Latin, but with one or more endings to be chosen from a drop down list. In most exercises the endings omitted are restricted to one particular part of speech (noun, verb or adjective). For this type of exercise language information is provided. This can be called up by the user at any time by clicking on LANGUAGE INFO. But in some exercises, all noun, verb and adjective endings are omitted. For this more demanding exercise, LANGUAGE INFO provides only reference to the relevant pages of the Cambridge Latin Course.
Sorting Words asks you to sort words by meaning, case, etc.
Practising the Language exercises are digital versions of exercises in the Cambridge Latin Course textbooks.
Cultural Background
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CSCP is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Wall-painting from the "House of the Library" in Pompeii depicting a theatrical mask.
Another version is found in the same fresco. In Naples Archaeological Museum.
Ancient Images of Drama
ANCIENT IMAGES OF DRAMA
Marble statuette from Rome of a comedy actor.
Detail of a mosaic from Pompeii showing an actor playing a slave. In the National Archaeological Museum, Naples.
As depicted on p.67 of CLC Book 1.
Detail of a mosaic from Pompeii showing an actor playing a slave. In the National Archaeological Museum, Naples.
As depicted on p.84 of CLC Unit 1.
Terracotta figurines: 3 mime actors on left, 2 comic actors on right.
Note the high platform-shoes. From Lorium near Rome, now in the Altes Museum, Berlin.
Famous mosaic depicting a scene from a comedy play, showing actors dressed as women seated around a table; the two younger women seem to be consulting an old soothsayer or sorceress, who perhaps prepares magical potions.
The mosaic, which is Greek rather than Roman, is signed by Dioskourides of Samos and dates to the 2nd century BC.
From the so-called Villa of Cicero, located just outside Pompeii's Herculaneum Gate; now in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
This wonderful mosaic depicts actors preparing to perform a light-hearted satyr play - shown by the goatskin costumes worn by the two actors on the far left. The chorus leader and/or playwright sits in the centre picking up a mask. A musician plays his aulos (double flute), while a boy servant helps an actor to dress at the back.
The House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeii is named after this celebrated mosaic which decorated the floor of the tablinum .
Actor reflecting upon the character he'll play whilst being handed a mask. From Pompeii, find-spot unrecorded; in the National Archaeological Museum, Naples.
Bronze bust of Gaius Norbanus Sorex, an actor, that was set up in the sanctuary of Isis at Pompeii. The inscription on the marble pillar reads:
[Portrait] of Gaius Norbanus Sorex, actor of second parts; the presidents of the Fortunate Augustan Sunurban Country District [set this up]. Space given by the decree of the town coucilors.
In the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
Another famous mosaic from the Villa of Cicero, located just outside Pompeii's Herculaneum Gate. It depicts street musicians playing double flute, cymbals and tambourine.
The mosaic, which is Greek rather than Roman, is signed by Dioskourides of Samos and dates to the 2nd century BC. Now in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
As shown on p.65 of CLC Bk 1.
Another famous mosaic from the Villa of Cicero, located just outside Pompeii's Herculaneum Gate. It depicts street musicians playing double flute, cymbals and tambourine.
The mosaic, which is Greek rather than Roman, is signed by Dioskourides of Samos and dates to the 2nd century BC. Now in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
Details shown on p.83 and p.85 of CLC Unit 1.
No original mask from Greek or Roman drama survives as they were made of perishable materials such as cloth. However, ancient stone and terracotta decorative masks survive as well as their depiction in wall-paintings and mosaics.
Traces of colour are still visible on this wonderful sculpture from the House of Neptune and Amphitrite in Herculaneum, near Pompeii.
- A dramatic close-up.
Tragic female mask of marble from an ancient theater; in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK.
Tragic male mask of marble from an ancient theater; in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK.
The seated playwright Menander surrounded with theatrical masks. Roman, find-spot unknown, now in Princeton Art Museum, USA.
Actor reflecting upon the character he'll play whilst being handed a mask. From Pompeii, find-spot unrecorded; in the National Archaeological Museum, Naples.
As shown on p.60 of CLC Book 1
Actor reflecting upon the character he'll play whilst being handed a mask. From Pompeii, find-spot unrecorded; in the National Archaeological Museum, Naples.
As shown on p.76 of CLC Unit 1
Detail of a mosaic showing a tragedy mask; from the House of Faun in Pompeii, now in National Archaeological Museum, Naples.
Detail of a fresco, still in situ depicting a tragic mask at the sumptuous Roman villa of Oplontis near Pompeii.
Mosaic from emperor Hadrian's Villa near Rome, depicting a female tragedy mask and a male comedy mask. In the Capitoline Museum in Rome.
From the House of the Deer in Herculaneum, now in the National Archaeological Museum, Naples.
From Pompeii showing the Muse of Comedy and Muse of Tragedy, both holding their representative mask. Now in the National Archaeological Museum, Naples.
From a villa discovered in the grounds of the Renaissance Villa Farnesina. Now in Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme museum.
- Two more masks from the same fresco.
A short video clip of a scene from Euripides' tragedy Bacchae, with all hte actors in masks. The performance loses none of its power.
Pompeii's Theaters
POMPEII'S THEATRES
The best on the web.
Aerial-photo from Google Earth.
Next to the large theater is the small theater, or odeon.
3D model of today's ruins.
Recently most of the stone seats have been restored. The original steps had been taken away over the centuries for building stone. However, some of the lower steps (closer to the stage, more expensive and in marble), have been preserved.
- View from the top
- Another view.
Very short but nevertheless gives a good impression.
The large theater, like all Greek and Roman theaters of this size, was open to the air. To its right, the so-called Small Theater (more properly called an Odeion) where more intimate musical and poetry recitals took place is roofed.
On one of the lower steps is an inscription (which would have had letters of bronze set into the marble); it marks the spot where an honorary chair would have been placed, and states:
M HOLCO - - NIO V F //UFO
II V I D - - QUINQUIENS
ITER QUINQ TRIB MIL A P
FLAMINI AUG PATR COLO D D
M(arco) Holconio M(arci) f(ilio) Rufo / IIv(iro) i(ure) d(icundo) quinquiens / iter(um) quinq(uennali) trib(uno) mil(itum) a p(opulo) / flamini Aug(usti) patr(ono) colo(niae) d(ecreto) d(ecurionum) [CIL X 838].
Translated: Dedicated in accordance with a decree of the city council to Marcus Holconius Rufus the son of Marcus, five times duumvir with judiciary authority, twice quinquennial duumvir, military tribune by the choice of the people, priest of Augustus and patron of the colony.
Dry description but the website changes from time to time to sometimes include drawings and photos!
Pompeii's so-called Small Theater is in fact an odeon used not for theatrical performances but for more intimate musical and poetry recitals...
Plans, photos, descriptions.
Aerial-photo from Google Earth.
The small theater is dwarfed by its large cousin next door!
3D model of today's ruins.
3D plans and reconstructions of the small theater, that is sometimes called the "odeon" or "odeion".
Short description.
You may also like visit our section on Roman Poetry in Performance
Roman Theaters
ROMAN THEATRES
After looking at this link, compare this Roman theater with its forerunner the Greek theater.
Can you spot the differences in the design?
Why the Roman authorities allowed the first permanent, stone theater to be built...
A new and expanding website with comprehensive information, plans & images of many ancient (and less ancient) theaters.
The remains of the theater have been incorporated into later housing; here's a lovely detail of the original stone arches. Compare today's ruins with this model of how the theater originally appeared, and then check out this cgi reconstruction.
One of the best preserved Roman theaters in the world.
More links:
- 360-degree panorama.
- aerial view.
- modern stage-roof or sounding-board which, just as in Roman times, helps with acoustics.
- back wall of the stage-building is also quite amazing. Note the stone supports for the wooden posts that held up the velarium.
- reconstruction drawing showing the stage roof/sounding-board and the guide ropes for the retractable "velarium".
A fantastically well-preserved Roman theater.
Another view.
In Britain there are only a few remains that be identified specifically as theaters, and most of these are fairly simple architecturally, the raised seating area, for instance, consisting of earth banks rather than concrete vaulting.
St Albans, Canterbury, Colchester, Dorchester and Cirencester are known to have had theaters.
St Albans: aerial view; development; reconstruction (scroll down to the section on Verulamium's theater showing Alan Sorrell's reconstruction painting).
For the smaller theater-like venues used for musical and poetry recitals, see:
ODEONS
Roman Drama: Comedy & Tragedy
ROMAN DRAMA: COMEDY & TRAGEDY
Introduction to origins and development of Roman theater.
10 characters that appear over and over in Roman comedies.
More detailed look into Roman comedy; aimed at older students.
Hyperlinked biography of Plautus, one of the most famous Roman comic playwrights.
Wikipedia's good account of the life and plays of Terence, the successor to Plautus
Rome's greatest writer of tragedies.
Everything you wanted to know about Roman theater!
ROMAN MIME & PANTOMIME
Click for links...
Greek Theater & Drama
GREEK THEATRE & DRAMA
Much of Roman drama had its roots in Greek theater - follow these links to find out more about Greek drama.
Good, introductory account of the origins and development of Greek drama,noting the three types of drama and the great playwrights of the 5th century BC.
Be sure to click the Forward > button at the bottom of each page to continue to other pages
A video extract of a masked performance of Sophocles' Antigone.
The Actors of Dionysos is Britain's leading theater company dedicated to the performance of classical Greek drama.
The Onassis Programme for the Performance of Greek Drama at Oxford.
