Fabula palliata
Encyclopedia
Fabula palliata or Palliata (plural Fabulae palliatae or palliatae) are names assigned by the Romans
to a genre of comedy (Comoedia palliata) that reworked in Latin the themes of Greek New Comedy
. The genre began with the comedies of Livius Andronicus
, who also initiated Roman literature and Roman drama. The name comes from pallium, a small cape traditionally worn by the actors who performed in his plays, in imitation of the himation
worn by Greek actors; that is, the Romans were identifying the genre as imitations of Greek comedy.
, of whom nothing is known except his report in Aulus Gellius
. Of the writers whose works have survived at all Sedigitus identifies as well Naevius
, Plautus
, Ennius
, Caecilius
and Terence
as contributors to the genre. In addition were Licinius, Atilius, Turpilius, Trabea and Luscius Lanuvius.
Fabula palliata is an ancient form of Roman theater that is a great example of what Roman culture was really like back in ancient times. Romans, whether it be through drama, art or culture, copied the Greeks. Fabula palliata was no different. It was direct translations or even adaptations that the Romans took from the genre of Greek New Comedy. Palliata is derived from the Latin word pallium
, which is the word for a Greek cloak and means to play in Greek dress. All of the remaining works of two comedic writers, Terence and Plautus wrote in the fabula palliata style.
The signature of this style of comedy is a stock character
, the braggart soldier called Miles Gloriosus. A stock character helps represent the genre by showing up as a ‘type’ in all of the genre’s pieces. For example, in Elizabethan drama there is usually a fool that shows up in every piece. That is their stock character. The main plot of fabula palliata pieces was romance and showcased its place within contemporary lifestyle of the time.
Plautus
was the first to twist the Greek translations of these comedies and make them a bit more Roman based. He began to use Roman mannerisms and cultural tints in the comedies along with Italian city and town names and Latin puns. He also started to turn iambic dialogue scenes into musical numbers, which was very different from the Greeks’ original pieces. Iambic pentameter
is the use of words with certain syllables to be used for the power of their natural rhythm. Plautus
took advantage of these scenes to turn them into a newly Roman way of performing. His plays were very humorous and lively. They brought very high spirits to those who watched. Terence on the other hand was a little different.
Terence’s plays were a little more true to their Greek origins. Although he was not as experimental with his writings, Terence created the style of combining two plays into one, which became known as contaminatio. His plays were logical. They were true to their translations, they were classic and the characters were very well laid out and clearly depicted in his works.
Although Plautus and Terence were creative and still known to this day, these Roman tragedies were soon lost in the second century after fabula togata, to play in Roman dress, took over the theaters. Unfortunately there is no remaining work from fabula togata today, however the style of translating Greek new comedy has survived from Terence and Plautus from their time to ours through European styles of drama
and those of the Renaissance
period.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
to a genre of comedy (Comoedia palliata) that reworked in Latin the themes of Greek New Comedy
Ancient Greek comedy
Ancient Greek comedy was one of the final three principal dramatic forms in the theatre of classical Greece . Athenian comedy is conventionally divided into three periods, Old Comedy, Middle Comedy, and New Comedy...
. The genre began with the comedies of Livius Andronicus
Livius Andronicus
Lucius Livius Andronicus , not to be confused with the later historian Livy, was a Greco-Roman dramatist and epic poet of the Old Latin period. He began as an educator in the service of a noble family at Rome by translating Greek works into Latin, including Homer’s Odyssey. They were meant at...
, who also initiated Roman literature and Roman drama. The name comes from pallium, a small cape traditionally worn by the actors who performed in his plays, in imitation of the himation
Himation
A himation was a type of clothing in ancient Greece. It was usually worn over a chiton, but was made of heavier drape and played the role of a cloak.The himation was markedly less voluminous than the Roman toga....
worn by Greek actors; that is, the Romans were identifying the genre as imitations of Greek comedy.
Definition and history of the concept
Knowledge of the genre comes from a 1st century BC literary critic named Volcacius SedigitusVolcatius Sedigitus
Volcātius Sedīgitus was the titulus of a Roman literary critic who flourished around 100 , noted for his ranking of those he considered the best Latin comics....
, of whom nothing is known except his report in Aulus Gellius
Aulus Gellius
Aulus Gellius , was a Latin author and grammarian, who was probably born and certainly brought up in Rome. He was educated in Athens, after which he returned to Rome, where he held a judicial office...
. Of the writers whose works have survived at all Sedigitus identifies as well Naevius
Naevius
-People:* Gnaeus Naevius, poet and dramatist 3rd century BC* Naevius Sutorius Macro, praetorian prefect under Tiberius and Caligula...
, Plautus
Plautus
Titus Maccius Plautus , commonly known as "Plautus", was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the genre devised by the innovator of Latin literature, Livius Andronicus...
, Ennius
Ennius
Quintus Ennius was a writer during the period of the Roman Republic, and is often considered the father of Roman poetry. He was of Calabrian descent...
, Caecilius
Caecilius Statius
Statius Caecilius, also known as Caecilius Statius was a Roman comic poet.A contemporary and intimate friend of Ennius, he was born in the territory of the Insubrian Gauls, probably in Mediolanum, and was probably taken as a prisoner to Rome , during the great Gallic war...
and Terence
Terence
Publius Terentius Afer , better known in English as Terence, was a playwright of the Roman Republic, of North African descent. His comedies were performed for the first time around 170–160 BC. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman senator, brought Terence to Rome as a slave, educated him and later on,...
as contributors to the genre. In addition were Licinius, Atilius, Turpilius, Trabea and Luscius Lanuvius.
Fabula palliata is an ancient form of Roman theater that is a great example of what Roman culture was really like back in ancient times. Romans, whether it be through drama, art or culture, copied the Greeks. Fabula palliata was no different. It was direct translations or even adaptations that the Romans took from the genre of Greek New Comedy. Palliata is derived from the Latin word pallium
Pallium
The pallium is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Holy See. In that context it has always remained unambiguously...
, which is the word for a Greek cloak and means to play in Greek dress. All of the remaining works of two comedic writers, Terence and Plautus wrote in the fabula palliata style.
The signature of this style of comedy is a stock character
Stock character
A Stock character is a fictional character based on a common literary or social stereotype. Stock characters rely heavily on cultural types or names for their personality, manner of speech, and other characteristics. In their most general form, stock characters are related to literary archetypes,...
, the braggart soldier called Miles Gloriosus. A stock character helps represent the genre by showing up as a ‘type’ in all of the genre’s pieces. For example, in Elizabethan drama there is usually a fool that shows up in every piece. That is their stock character. The main plot of fabula palliata pieces was romance and showcased its place within contemporary lifestyle of the time.
Plautus
Plautus
Titus Maccius Plautus , commonly known as "Plautus", was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the genre devised by the innovator of Latin literature, Livius Andronicus...
was the first to twist the Greek translations of these comedies and make them a bit more Roman based. He began to use Roman mannerisms and cultural tints in the comedies along with Italian city and town names and Latin puns. He also started to turn iambic dialogue scenes into musical numbers, which was very different from the Greeks’ original pieces. Iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter is a commonly used metrical line in traditional verse and verse drama. The term describes the particular rhythm that the words establish in that line. That rhythm is measured in small groups of syllables; these small groups of syllables are called "feet"...
is the use of words with certain syllables to be used for the power of their natural rhythm. Plautus
Plautus
Titus Maccius Plautus , commonly known as "Plautus", was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the genre devised by the innovator of Latin literature, Livius Andronicus...
took advantage of these scenes to turn them into a newly Roman way of performing. His plays were very humorous and lively. They brought very high spirits to those who watched. Terence on the other hand was a little different.
Terence’s plays were a little more true to their Greek origins. Although he was not as experimental with his writings, Terence created the style of combining two plays into one, which became known as contaminatio. His plays were logical. They were true to their translations, they were classic and the characters were very well laid out and clearly depicted in his works.
Although Plautus and Terence were creative and still known to this day, these Roman tragedies were soon lost in the second century after fabula togata, to play in Roman dress, took over the theaters. Unfortunately there is no remaining work from fabula togata today, however the style of translating Greek new comedy has survived from Terence and Plautus from their time to ours through European styles of drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
and those of the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
period.