Roman Republic Lit&Art

In dating the Roman Republic from 509-133 BC, we miss some of the best known Roman writers and orators such as Cicero, Virgil and Ovid. However, other artists during the Roman Republic were responsible for a significant contribution to literature, including Ennius, Livius Andronicus, Plautus and Terence. In addition to many works of literature, the Roman Republic also produced various works of art, including architecture and sculpture. This analysis will review the Roman Empire’s contribution to literature and the arts during the Republic.

The conquest of Greece was responsible for introducing Romans to many works of art, from literature and poetry to architecture and sculpture. With the expulsion of the last of the Etruscan kings in approximately 510 BC, Rome became a Republic (Art 1). The origins of art during the Roman Republic can be traced to a series of wars in which Rome not only expanded its territorial boundaries but also its artistic sensibilities. In the form of war spoils, Romans were exposed to the literature and poetry, histories, architecture, sculpture, music and painting of the Greeks “Mummius…was the first to enhance the esteem which is publicly accorded to foreign paintings at Rome” (Art 1). This influence was profound, promoting Roman society to develop its own works of art. Initially, Roman works of art were copied from Greek models of art, be it literature or architecture. Over time

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the themes and style typical of Naevius’ work. However, the structure of the work left an indelible impression upon later successful Roman poets like Virgil who adopted the new techniques injected into epic poetry by Naevius “He contributed a feature that was to dominate later poetry—he conflated Greek and Roman material to create a world of ideas dominated by neither culture, which gave far greater freedom to the artistic imagination” (The Earliest 1). History and entertainment were combined in the works of these two poets, a trend that would continue in Roman literature and poetry. Further, the Saturnian metre of these works was a distinctly Roman innovation in poetry. Nonetheless, after the time of Ennius, the use of Saturnian metre would decline in favor of hexameter and the elegiac couplet. When it comes to drama, Plautus and Terence are considered the two greatest comic playwrights during the Roman Republic. Plautus was the son of a peasant family who gained his theatrical experience working as a stagehand for a traveling troupe of players. Like other Roman artists, Plautus borrowed heavily from the Greeks, particularly New Greek Comedy in the style of Menander but he made these works distinctly Roman. He introduced
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Approximate Word count = 1206
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)