LUDI, Roman Festivals

In early Republican Rome, all plays were performed at various ludi, (tr. "games" or "festivals") most of which were official religious celebrations in honor of various gods. Some were financed by wealthy citizens or showy politicians to celebrate special occasions, especially funerals, as well as triumphal entries. Such entertainments were not restricted to plays, but included gladiatorial combat and animal baiting, acrobatics, etc., all of which would eventually eclipse literary drama.

The most important of the festivals was the ludi Romani (Roman Games) held each September (at harvest time) in honor of Jupiter. The festival dates from the 6th C BCE, In 364, Etruscan dancers were added, leading to speculation in re: Fescennine verses… Comedy and tragedy were probably performed from time to time after this and became a regular feature of the ludi Romani in 240 BCE.

Ludi proliferated from the 3rd C BCE when they were given official sanction and financial support. Most were spring vegetation/fertility or harvest festivals. The more prominent festivals included
1. ludi Romani;
2. ludi Florales, an April festival in honor of Flores the goddess of spring vegetation, received state support in 238 BCE and became a regular event after 173 BCE;
3. ludi plebii: a November festival accompanying the slaughter of cattle in honor of Jupiter, received state support in 220 BCE and became a regular event after 200 BCE;
4. ludi Apollinares, another spring vegetation festival, this one in honor of Apollo, received state support in 212 BCE and added plays c. 180 BCE;
5. ludi Megalenses, another April spring vegetation festival, this one in honor of the Great Mother, was established in 204 BCE with plays added soon thereafter;
6. ludi Cereales, yet another spring vegetation, this one in honor of Ceres, the goddess of the fields, was established in 202 BCE with plays added by 190 BCE.

Plays at the various ludi were free to everyone. They were usually managed by a civic or religious magistrate who contracted with the heads of various acting troupes and established fees for a performance. The fee, paid by the state, could be augmented by the magistrate himself to ensure success. This practice became especially important when bonuses began to be paid when public response became notably vocal, prompting magistrates to pay claques to cheer wildly and to bribe public officials to notice the wild cheering. Presentation of plays increased from one in 240 BCE to more than 100 in the 3rd C CE.

[Editorial observation: With a steady, state-supplied income, the literary drama declined and died; performances became more and more obscene and pandered more and more to the lowest common denominators of taste. There is perhaps a lesson for our own day here.]