1. ROMAN LAUGHTER

3. Comedy in Italy 6 th - 5 th century BCE EPICHARMUS 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 1 st century CE to 177 in 4 th century CE.

16. Ludi… Ludi RomaniSeptemberfrom 213 BCE Ludi plebeiiNovemberfrom 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 1 st century BCE onwards in permanent theaters. Introduced in 363 BCE First drama performed in 240 BCE