User:Carolinehcollins/sandbox

Week 2: Evaluate Wikipedia

Ancient Rome: This article was very different than the other articles because of its length and many different sub-sections. The article is relatively organized through a chronological understanding in which the history is broken down chronologically, instead of by culture, society, etc. There are many links included throughout the article to help direct the audience's ability to research relating material. One area of concern in the chronological breakdown is that it is apparent that much of the research provided is dedicated to later periods in Roman history, whereas the early period of Kingdoms (the founding of Rome), there is significantly less research provided. The article is then broken down into different sub-categories dedicated to areas of Roman society. Most of these are well-researched and relatively complete in their explanation, but the section on Law is extremely short and Roman Law is an extremely important area of Ancient Roman history. Due to the length and extent of the article, there are many sources which indicate that the article is relatively well-developed despite its breadth. As with any article, there are always additions that can be made to further develop the article, but overall, this article is well-researched and provides a good starting point for more extensive research.

Roman Art: After looking through the Wikipedia article, I determined that some sections of the article were not fully developed, which created an overall choppy nature to the article. For instance, there is very little research included having to do with still life paintings in Ancient Rome and Genre Scenes. The Genre Scenes section was particularly concerning because it included information that lacked a corresponding citation. I also noticed that there was little research included regarding roman coinage, which could probably be further researched. Besides adding some more information to these sections, the article did seem to flow relatively well and included many different resources. It also covered a wide array of different forms of artwork during the period, which aided in providing a relatively full understanding of art during this time for the reader.

Culture in Ancient Rome: The article on the culture in Ancient Rome included many different areas of culture that was present in Rome, but did not have very many sources and lacked quite a few citations. The philosophy section is particularly problematic because their is a flag that no sources are cited. After reviewing the talk page for the article, so reviewers noted some stylistic issues that indicated the article was choppy and some sections provided significantly more information than other sections. For instance, the section on education lacks a lot of information and definitely could be expanded upon. In addition, the visual arts section could be expanded as well. The article definitely needs to be edited to provide additional information through reliable sources in conjunction with a tailoring of the information already provided.

Week 3: Finalize Topic

I assigned myself the article on Theatre of Ancient Rome. I chose this article because last week I was drawn to the article centered around culture in Ancient Rome and I wanted to focus on one aspect of the Ancient Roman culture. I will be addressing quality issues with the article that previously exists. I found that while the article was informative, much could be expanded upon in the article regarding the immense history of Ancient Roman Theatre. The lead for the entry is very minimal in its explanation and background, which I believe can and should be expanded. Also, there are few references used, which leads me to believe significantly more research can be done on this topic. 

1. Manuwald, Gesine. Roman Republican Theatre. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
2. Slater, William J. Roman Theater and Society. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1996.

FINAL EDITS- Theatre of Ancient Rome

Introduction

ADD: Eventually, theatre would represent an important aspect of Roman society because it would come to function as the primary means through which the Roman people could express their political emotions during the republican and imperial periods of Rome.

Origins of Roman theatre

ADD: The early drama that emerged was very similar to the drama in Greece. This was due to extensive contact between the Romans and the Greeks, which allowed the Romans to develop an interest in a new form of expression. Following the conclusion of the Third Macedonian War in 168 B.C.E., the Romans gained even more access to Greek culture, specifically in the arts, allowing for the Romans to further develop a basis for drama in their own society. The development that occurred was first initiated by playwrights that were Greeks or half-Greeks living in Rome. While Greek literary tradition in drama influenced the Romans, the Romans chose to not fully adopt these traditions, and instead the dominant local language of Latin was used.

ADD: These Roman plays that were beginning to be performed were heavily influenced by the Etruscan traditions, particularly regarding the importance of music and performance.

Genres of ancient Roman theatre

Roman tragedy

ADD: One important aspect of tragedy that differed from other genres was the implementation of choruses that were included in the action on the stage during the performances of many tragedies.

Roman theatre in performance

Actors

ADD: The first actors that appeared in Roman performances were originally from Etruria. This tradition of foreign actors would continue in Roman dramatic performances. Beginning with early performances, actors were denied the same political and civic rights that were afforded to ordinary Roman citizens because of the low social status of actors. In addition, actors were exempt from military service, which further inhibited their rights in Roman society because it was impossible for an individual to hold a political career without having some form of military experience. While actors did not possess many rights, slaves did have the opportunity to win their freedom if they were able to prove themselves as successful actors.

Not everyone in the Roman community could become an actor because actors were required to have a physical presence and ability. Stage acting required that actors implement grand gestures to accompany and emphasize their speeches. Actors also required strong voices because of the oration involved in their performances. They needed their voices to carry for lengthy periods of time in the open-air amphitheatres. Actors needed to have a strong musical voice because song was often involved in performances. Oftentimes, actors exchanged their lines rhythmically due to the musical nature of their performance. This rhythmic exchange also aided actors in projecting their voices in these open-air performances.

The spread of dramatic performance throughout Rome occurred with the growth of acting companies that are believed to have eventually begun to travel throughout all of Italy. These acting troupes were usually comprised of 4-6 trained actors. Usually, 2-3 of the actors in the troupe would have speaking roles in a performance, while the other actors in the troupe would be present on stage as attendants to the speaking actors. For the most part, actors specialized in one genre of drama and did not alternate between other genres of drama.

The most famous actor to develop a career in the late Roman Republic was Quintus Roscius Gallus (125BCE- 62CE). He was primarily known for his performances in the genre of comedy and became renowned for his performances among the elite circles of Roman society. Through these connections he became intimate with Lucius Licinius Crassus (italicize name), the great orator and member of the Senate, and Lucius Cornelius Sulla. In addition to the acting career Gallus would build, he also would take his acting abilities and use them to teach amateur actors the craft of becoming successful in the art. He would further distinguish himself through his financial success as an actor and a teacher of acting in a field that was not highly respected. Ultimately, he chose to conclude his career as an actor without being paid for his performances because he wanted to offer his performances as a service to the Roman people.