Ancient Greek and Roman Theatre, Mythology, and Political Figures

The 3 extant Greek Tragedians

Aeschylus; Sophocles; Euripides

Fabula

Play or drama

Crepida

Sandal

Cothurnus

Buskin which is a platform boot; played a very important role in ancient greek theatre

Fabula Crepidata/Cothurnata

Latin Tragedy with Greek subjects; 9 of 10 surviving plays (all but Octavia); 8 regularly attributed to Seneca the Younger; Occasionally to Seneca the Elder; Hercules on Oeta probably by someone else; Many others wrote plays but only these 10 survive

Fabula Praetexta

serious drama on Roman historical subjects; Octavia - only surviving Fabula Praetexta

Toga praetexta

worn by magistrates boys; purple border signaled sacrosanct importance of magistrates and inviolability of boys

Seneca the Younger

ca. 1 BCE - 65 CE; Stoic Philosopher; Dramatist; Satirist; Statesman; Nero's tutor had significant influence Rome was said to be the greatest when Seneca was effectively ruling

Julio-Claudian Dynasty

(27 BCE-68 CE.) the first imperial dynasty of the Roman Empire comprising 5 emperors Augustus Tiberius Caligula Claudius Nero

Sexual Calumny

the use of false salacious or exaggerated accusations regarding a woman's sexual behavior to destroy her reputation has historically been a potent tool used to diminish the authority and influence of powerful women

Conspiracy of Piso

failed attempt to overthrow Nero compulsory led to forced suicides of many including Seneca

Naevius

264-201 BCE; Inventor of Fabulae Praetextae

Judgement of Paris

Paris a Trojan prince chooses Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess over Hera and Athena; Aphrodite bribed Paris with the love of Helen of Sparta leading to her abduction and triggering the Trojan War

Tiberius' Treason Trials

a series of prosecutions used to eliminate political threats and amass wealth fueled by informers and the influence of Sejanus; targeted senators and elites leading to a reign of terror with executions or suicides

HECUBA

widow of Priam queen of Troy mother of Hector Polyxena and many others

ANDROMACHE

widow of Hector mother of Astyanax

POLYXENA

daughter of Hecuba and Priam nonspeaking role Achilles' ghost demands her as a sacrifice she may have lured Achilles to his death by ambush

ASTYANAX

"Lord of the City" little son of Hector and Andromache

Priam

king of Troy husband of Hecuba father of Hector once spared by Achilles later slaughtered at altar during sack of city

AGAMEMNON

supreme commander of the Greek forces who had sacrificed his daughter Iphigeneia so the fleet could sail for Troy

ULYSSES (Odysseus)

the clever everyman of epic portrayed more negatively as a ruthlessly cunning manipulator in tragedy

Iphigeneia

daughter of Agamemnon sacrificed so the gods will send a fair wind to carry the Achaean fleet to Troy

PYRRHUS (Neoptolemus)

son of Achilles who disguised himself as a woman named Pyrrha to avoid Troy; slaughtered Priam on an altar during the sack of Troy

CALCHAS

a priest and prophet among the Greeks who declared Iphigenia Polyxena and Astyanax had to die

Populares

supporters of the people populists who gained power by appealing to assemblies and common people

Optimates

best men conservatives maintaining senatorial supremacy tradition and elite authority

Julius Ceaser

brilliant general and ambitious populist statesman who ended the Republic and laid foundations of empire

Pompey

brilliant general once allied with Caesar later joined Optimates and was murdered in Egypt

Ides of March 44 BCE

the day Caesar was assassinated by Senators trying to preserve the Republic

Octavian

grand-nephew of Caesar adopted as heir became Augustus first emperor of Rome

Cleopatra

queen of Egypt lover of Caesar then Mark Antony fought against Octavian

Epic

long narrative poem about heroic deeds of national significance in a grand style

Rhomé

Greek for strength traveled Italy after Trojan War with Ulysses possibly alongside Aeneas; Trojan refugee

Romus

son of Ulysses and Circe founded the city according to Dionysus of Halicarnassus

Etymology of Aeneas

Aineias means grief or shame; tied to Venus and Anchises; Venus was forced to love Anchises and grieved Aeneas as reminder

Pietas

duty and devotion to gods state and family defining virtue of Aeneas

Protectress

non sexual interest in hero; interested in them because of their lineage / hero exemplifies a paticular virtue they admire

Enchantress

has powerful abilities can be threatening or seductive; may help hero after defeat

Object of striving

woman needing saving heroes compete to win her

Juno Pronuba

Juno as patroness and protectress of marriage

Juturna

means helper; sister of Turnus; forced by Jupiter to abandon him; turned into immortal water nymph

Iarbas

North African king son of Jupiter pressures Dido to marry him

Cupid

god of sexual desire son of Venus half brother of Aeneas

Anna

sister of Dido later becomes minor goddess Anna Perenna

Lavinia

object of striving daughter of Latinus destined to marry Aeneas ideal Roman wife symbolism of fiery hair

Prophetic/Admonitory Dream

ghost or deity reveals future or prompts action

Dream Incubation

focusing on a thought before sleep to influence dreams and solve problems

Turnus

king of the Rutulians leader opposing Aeneas main suitor of Lavinia

Allecto

means unceasing anger one of the Furies sent by Juno to incite war maddens Amata and Turnus

Latinus

king of the Latins who wants Lavinia to marry Aeneas

Penates

household gods symbolic of home guide Aeneas to Italy

Anchises

father of Aeneas appears in dreams and reveals Rome's future

Sibyl

priestess of Apollo at Cumae guides Aeneas in the Underworld

Tartarus

the torture prison in the Underworld for eternal punishment

Elysium

paradise in the Underworld for heroes

The Roman Mission

teach peace spare the conquered and humble the proud

Gates of Sleep

two gates horn for true dreams ivory for false dreams

Intentional fallacy

term from literary criticism that describes the problem in trying to interpret a text by assuming the intent or purpose of the author; it is particularly difficult when the author is from a very different time and culture

Intertextuality

the complex relationship between texts where a reader interprets a work's meaning by recognizing its interconnectedness to other texts

Reader Response theory

a literary theory that focuses not on the author but on the individual reader's experience and interpretation of a text; meaning is not fixed and objective but subjective and dependent on the reader's response

Argonautica

"Sea Voyage of the Argo" epic journey of Jason to find the Golden Fleece

Iliad

Homeric epic describing the dispute of Achilles with Agamemnon in the 10th year of Trojan War

Odyssey

the oft-interrupted nostos voyage home of Odysseus after the Trojan War seeking to rejoin his wife Penelope

Harpies' identity & etymology

birds with faces of virgins but foul vaginal discharge; reflect male fear of female power fear of the womb fear of emasculation; Harpazo means "I snatch"

Nostos

voyage home

Aeolus

divine keeper of the winds; indirect interaction in the Aeneid and direct in the Odyssey; unfavorable winds in the bag in Odyssey; Juno visits Aeolus in the Aeneid

Helenus

brother of Cassandra a Trojan prophet who married Andromache and inherited the kingdom of Pyrrhus; Andromache widow of Hector and mother of Astyanax went from slave of Pyrrhus to queen of his kingdom

Hermione

daughter of Helen and Menelaus betrothed to Orestes before the Trojan War but given to Pyrrhus during it; Orestes later murdered Pyrrhus at Delphi to win Hermione

Hercules' choice

take the hard path to Virtue or enjoy the easy life with Vice

Achilles' choice

fight at Troy and have a short glorious life or stay in Greece and have a long quiet life in obscurity

Evander

"good man" Latin king who allies himself with Aeneas

Pallas

brave young son of Evander Aeneas' Latin ally; killed by Turnus and avenged by Aeneas

Mezentius

Etruscan king loving father of Lausus honorable warrior

Maschalismos

mutilation of enemy corpse to make it impossible for its ghost to haunt you