Ancient Rome Flashcards
What did the Romans value?
- Power
- Code of Law
- Contracts
What was the status of dancers?
High status due to rituals
Did the Romans have ritual dance?
Yes
Who were the Salii?
Ritual dancers (12 priests of Mars) Sang, led purification ceremonies, performed the tripudium (3 step rhythm dance)
What was Saturnalia?
Festival where masters and slaves were equal for the day
What was the Ludi Romani?
Festival that offered public games and entertainment
Who was Livius Andronicus? What did he do that was so important?
Greek writer who became the father of Roman Poetry
He translated stuff into Latin
Name the ingredients of a roman pantomime.
- 1 performer
- Beautiful costumes
- Closed mouth masks
- An actor summarizing the story before it started
- Chorus who sang offstage
- Small orchestra or flute player
- Stories similar to greek tragedy
Who was Pylades?
- Famous pantomime artists
- Pylades of “Cicilia”
- More popular than Bathylus
- Performed in grand style of tragedy
Who was Bathylus?
• Of “Alexandria”
• Good at playing female roles
Excelled in comedies and burlesque
How did mime differ from pantomime?
- Shorter
- Had no masks
- Involved women
What types of entertainment did the Romans love?
Fights, mock battles, sexual things
How did Roman theaters differ from Greek theaters?
- More grand while greek theaters were smpler
* Greeks built theaters on hills but if romans didn’t have one they built a freestanding one
Who were Justinian and Theodora? Why is this important for dance?
- Emperor and Empress of the Roman empire in 527 AD
- Theodora was a mime until she married Justinian
- Justnian closed all public entertainment sites
Why did the early Christian church oppose dance?
- It was associated with Pagan mythology
* Mime shows ridiculed the church
