There is a minimal amount of background information about Publilius Syrus in history, and few know of his name, yet he still made a historic imprint with the few discovered pieces from his mines. From what historians have gathered, Publilius had an interesting life and was a brilliant man. He is mostly famously known by the collection of sentences and sayings from his mimes, the collection was titled The Sententiae. From The Sententiae, a reader can learn about the ethics of ancient Rome and be introduced to mines; “a dominant genre in Roman theater....”(Roman Period Theatre Vasiliki Karakitsou). Not only that, but as a reader, I was able to make connections with the ethics and morals of ancient Rome to the ones held in society today. Researching …show more content…
Though there is no evidence that he was born into slavery. Historians suppose that he became one when his native country, Syria, was turned into a Roman province. Around 64 B.C. Pompey had disposed of the monarchy that resided in Syria and reconstituted it as a Roman province (Pompey in the East). It is believed that Publilius Syrus was brought to Rome by Domitius -an officer of the Roman army- soon after the reconstitution of Syria and that Publilius was about twelves years old at the time. This is also when he received the name Syrus, following the custom of giving slaves a praenomen derived from their original province. Publilius was described as, “ [being] fair, and well formed, of lively wit, and at repartee” (L.E. Bernard, 1856). When Publilius Syrus was presented to a new master, the affair is described to have occurred the following …show more content…
Laberius has produced one of the firsts mimetic poems, and he sought to use mimes for a new purpose; “He made the theater a school of morals, and a vehicle of political satire; and… he sprinkled them with biting epigrams designed to hit the all-powerful Caesar” (L.E. Bernard, 1856). Publilius Syrus worked hard to create mimetic poems himself, written in prose, and he quickly established himself as famous performer and actor. He quickly gained fame with his lengthy and philosophic work and brilliant performances, and there is one story that states that his fame had reached Rome and he had gathered Caesar’s attention. After Caesar was elected, he decided to provide a public festival to celebrate. In the festival, Caesar has invited a multitude of beloved and well known authors, Publilius Syrus was one of them. Publilius Syrus decided to challenge the other poets in the festival to a contest of wits and surprisingly he beat all of them, including his role model Laverius. Sadly, not one of Publilius Syrus’ completed works have been found, only sentences and fragments of his poems. This is why The Sententia is used as an insight to the writing style and message of Publilius Syrus’
Polonius, his [Hamlet’s] seeming opposite in so many ways, is, like Hamlet, an inveterate punster. To whom else but Polonius should Hamlet direct the taunt of “Words, words, words”? The aged counselor recalls that in his youth he “suffered much extremity for love, very near this,” and he has been an actor at the university. Polonius too has advice for the players: “Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus too light.” When Hamlet jibes at “so capital a calf” enacting Julius Caesar, killed in the Capitol, he reinforces the parallel to his own playacting and anticipates the slaying of Polonius behind the arras. (4)
Aeschylus. The Oresteia. Trans. Richmond Lattimore. Ed. David Grene and Richmond Lattimore. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1953.
The debate between Unjust and Just Speech in Aristophanes’ Clouds draws the reader’s attention to the theme of natural pleasure versus lawful justice. The debate begins with the two Speeches representing
Rodney, Sydney. "Pericles." Ancient Greece. University Inc., 11 May 2003. Web. 7 Dec. 2013. .
Tacitus was a Roman senator and writer that lived from circa 56-117. He was born in Gaul, a town in what is now modern day France. He had a wealthy father, and his family raised horses. Growing up, Tacitus loved the outdoors and enjoyed hunting as a pastime. When he was in school, he studied rhetorics. Tacitus’ friend, Pliny the Younger, also studied rhetorics. This was helpful for Tacitus when pursuing a career in law and politics.
Horsfall, Nicholas, ed. A Companion to the Study of Virgil. Leiden, New York, and Köln: E. J. Brill, 1995.
Aristophanes, although he wrote in 420 BC, parallels much of Greek society with that of today's. He disrupts the audiences' comfort thro...
Cixous, Hélène. “The Laugh of the Medusa.” The Critical Tradition: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends. Ed. David H. Richter. Boston: Bedford Books, 1998. 1454-1466.
Ancient Greece produced a multitude of sophisticated poets. One such poet, Sappho, happens to be the only female Ancient Greek author, in the midst of a male-driven field, whose work has survived. Frequently referred to as the tenth muse, Sappho often wrote on the topic of homosexuality. Her poetry, combined with the name of the island she lived on, Lesbos, inspired the modern day term ‘lesbian’. Another influential Greek poet was Catullus. Catullus typically wrote using intense emotion; this periodically led to the use of vulgar language. Catullus was a blunt, bold anti-political writer whom consistently referenced Sappho throughout his poetry. Although there are a plethora of differences between the two poets, such as their writing style; with Sappho including an abundance of detail while Catullus opted for a more concise approach, there are also distinct similarities. Both poets discuss controversial topics; more importantly, neither were afraid to stand up for what they believed in.
Aristrophanes. "Lysistrata." The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Maynard, Mack. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1997. 466-469.
Burn, A. R.. Pericles and Athens. London: Hodder & Stoughton for the English Universities Press, 1948.
This paper aims to study two significant playwrights, Sophocles and Euripides, and compare their respective attitudes by examining their plays in respect to plot and character structures. To achieve this goal, the paper is organized into two main sections. In the first section, we provide a brief biography of both Sophocles and Euripides. The second and last section includes summaries of Sophocles’ Electra and Euripides’ Electra which were based on same essentials and give an opportunity to observe the differences of the playwrights. This section also includes the comparisons that are made by our observations about the plays.
Lysistrata is a bawdy play written by the comic playwright from ancient Athens, Aristophanes. This age-old comedy details the quest of one Athenian woman’s crusade to put an end to the incessant Peloponnesian War. As a method of non-violent resistance, Lysistrata, along with other women who hail from Athens and other warring states, capitalize on their sexuality. In a male-dominated society, the deprival of sexual privileges by these women render their husbands and lovers powerless. In an attempt for peace, a comical yet crucial battle of the sexes erupts. It is evident that emphasis is not placed solely on the influence of sex and sexuality, but rather the gender issues in Classical society and the conceptualization of masculinity and femininity. The complexity surrounding the argument as to whether or not Lysistrata is a useful source for women’s history relies heavily upon the authors application of such ideas. After a qualitative analysis of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, Lysistrata and her co-conspirators appear to be dramatizations and not realistic imitations of women in classical Greece, rendering the source highly problematic and unreliable.
Naso, Publius O. Ovid: A Legamus Transitional Reader. Trans. Caroline A. Perkins and Denise Davis-Henry. Wauconda, IL: Bolchazy-Carducci, 2007. Print.
Aristotle. Poetics. Trans. Gerald F. Else. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P, 1967. Dorsch, T. R., trans. and ed. Aristotle Horace Longinus: Classical Literary Criticism. New York: Penguin, 1965. Ley, Graham. The Ancient Greek Theater. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1991. Reinhold, Meyer. Classical Drama, Greek and Roman. New York: Barrons, 1959.