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HISTORY OF HISTORY OF LITERATURE
 
 
The cradle of writing
The eastern heritage
The western heritage
Greek drama
Greek history
Greek philosophy
Rome
     Roman comedy

Augustus and patronage
4th - 8th century
8th - 11th century
12th - 13th century
The Italian awakening
The path to Chaucer
Renaissance
Shakespeare
17th century
18th century
Late 18th century
18th - 19th century
To be completed



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Roman comedy: 3rd - 2nd century BC

In most cultural matters Rome is greatly influenced by Greece, and this is particularly true of theatre. Two Roman writers of comedy, Plautus and Terence, achieve lasting fame in the decades before and after 200 BC - Plautus for a robust form of entertainment close to farce, Terence for a more subtle comedy of manners. But neither writer invents a single plot. All are borrowed from Greek drama, and every play of Terence's is set in Athens.

The misfortune of Plautus and Terence is that their audience is very much less attentive than in Athens. And the reason is that Roman plays are presented as part of a broader event, the Roman games.
 



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