The Origin of Roman Drama: A Reconsideration

Abstract

There have been several influential controversies in classical studies since the beginning of the twentieth century, and assuredly one of them is the problem of the origin of Greek drama. The purpose of this paper is to reconsider the problem of the origin of Roman drama as contrasted with that of Greek drama.

It is a well-known fact that Jane Ellen Harrison's Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion published in 1903 caused much controversy. She maintained that the origin of Greek drama consisted in the Dionysiac ritual, and Gilbert Murray and F. M. Conrnford supported her theory. The theory of these scholars called the Cambridge Ritualists was refuted thoroughly by Sir Arthur Pichard-Cambridge and has been considered untrustworthy in classical studies, whereas it is still exercising a great influence on theater research.

In contrast, the origin of Roman drama has rarely been discussed. The materials which tell the origin are restricted. The most important one is found in Livy's History, in which several primitive dramatic performances are described, but none of these performances seems to have underlain the Roman drama. Roman drama did not evolve undergoing various stages, but it just began in 240 B. C. when the Greek dramas were translated into Latin and performed.