_The Roman Drama_, as illustrated by the works of the early tragedians,
from 240 to the first century B. C.: Andronicus Nævius, Ennius,
Pacuvius, Accius. The later tragedians to the close of the first century
A. D.: Pollio, Varius, Ovid, Maternus, Secundus, Lucan, and Seneca. The
writers of comedy, second century B. C.: Plautus and Terence.
1. How did the civilization of Rome in 454 B. C. compare with that of
Greece? 2. How did Rome's conquest of the Greek colonies in Italy help
the development of Italian literature? 3. How did the First Punic War
affect this development? 4. Who was the "first professor of Latin on
record"? 5. From what sources were the subjects of the old Roman
tragedies taken? 6. How did the Roman spirit differ from that of the
Greek? 7. Why did the Romans fail to develop a truly national tragedy?
8. What four names besides that of Andronicus are representative of the
old Roman tragedy? 9. What qualities of Accius do we find in the
fragments of his writings which remain? 10. What is true of the writers
of tragedy after Accius? 11. Why have the tragedies of Seneca special
interest? 12. What are their defects? 13. What their strong qualities?
14. Why did the plays of Seneca have such an influence in England? 15.
What is the outline of the story of Medea? 16. How does it illustrate
Seneca's defects of style? 17. Quote passages which illustrate his skill
in epigram. 18. In graphic description. 19. In pathos and passion. 20.
In subtile analysis of character and motive. 21. Describe the three
great types of Greek comedy. 22. What result followed the attempts of
Nævius to write in the spirit of Old Comedy? 23. What two writers alone
of comedy are known to us from their works? 24. What are the chief
characteristics of _Phormio_ of Terence?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. OLD ROMAN TRAGEDY.
RIBBECK, _Die Römische Tragödie_.
WORDSWORTH, _Fragments and Specimens of Early Latin_, pp. 567 and
following.
SIMCOX, _History of Latin Literature_, Vol. I, pp. 31-44.
SELLAR, _Roman Poets of the Republic_, pp. 47-150.
TYRRELL, _Latin Poetry_, pp. 32-42.
CONINGTON, _Miscellaneous Writings_, Vol. I, pp. 294-347.
MOULTON, _The Ancient Classical Drama_, pp. 203-222.
2. LATER ROMAN TRAGEDY AND SENECA.
TEUFFEL, _History of Roman Literature_ (translated by Warr), Vol. II,
pp. 48-52.
NEWTON (and others), _Seneca, his Tenne Tragedies Translated into
Englysh_ (Spenser Society reprint, 1887).
CONINGTON, _Miscellaneous Writings_, Vol. I, pp. 385-411.
CUNLIFFE, _The Influence of Seneca on Elizabethan Tragedy_.
PATIN, _Études sur les Tragiques Grecs; Euripides_. The work has many
valuable comparisons between Euripides and Seneca.
TYRRELL, _Latin Poetry_, pp. 269-272.
SIMCOX, _History of Latin Literature_, Vol. II, pp. 24-28.
WARD, _History of English Dramatic Literature_, Vol. I, pp. 189 and
following.
MERIVALE, _History of Rome Under the Empire_, Vol. VI, pp. 382 and
following.
MOMMSEN, _History of Rome_, Vol. II, pp. 527-538.
3. ROMAN COMEDY.