OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERFORMANCE

Romans enjoyed the palliatae. Adaptations of Greek drama constituted one of the principal forms of entertainment at the ludi (‘games’). Ludi were public religious festivals that offered the only opportunity for dramatic performance in Rome. Combining sacrifices and other religious practices with public entertainments such as chariot events at the circus, ludi were the significant celebrations in the religious year of Rome. The evidence for the early history of the ludi scaenici (‘theatrical shows’) is confused, but, for the period of Plautus' plays, the situation is relatively stable. There were four major festivals at which comedies could be presented, each administered by magistrates under the authority of the senate. The ludi Romani, administered by the curule aediles and held in September, were the first site of Roman literary performance: Livius Andronicus staged a tragedy and a comedy in 240 bc. In 214 the number of days for ludi scaenici was fixed at four. The ludi Plebeii, administered by the plebeian aediles and held in November, had at least three days for performance. It was here that Stichus was performed in 200. The ludi Apollinares, administered by the praetor urbanus and held in July, were first celebrated in 212 and became annual in 208: they were the first of a wave of new festivals inaugurated during the Second Punic War, reflecting both an increased awareness of the societal value served by ludi and a genuine sense that there were theological benefits to be realised from such celebrations.