Masks in Roman theater: origins and typology
The paper deals with the problems of the origin of the practice of using masks on Roman stage as well as typology of the masks of Roman comedy in the epoch of Plautus and Terence. The author marks out several different forms of theatrical performances which existed in Italy in V-th - III-rd centuries B.C. and became the basis for the active use of mask in Roman theatre. Among them special attention is focused on the South-Italian phlyakes, the image of Etruscan phersu and the Oscan atellana. According to the author’s opinion existence and interaction of different traditions of using mask on a stage in the Italian cultural space influenced much its characteristic features and opportunities of its use in Roman theatre. Parallels among the images of Greek pottery in Southern Italy as well as the subjects of Etruscan frescoes and the subjects and characters of some plays of Plautus and Terence which are traced in the article testify in favor of this thesis.The author believes that in the end of the III-rd century B.C. adaptation of the masks of Athenian New Comedy to the needs of Roman theatre took place. It was accompanied by the synthesis of the Greek and local Italian traditions. Taking this into consideration it can be argued that typology and technique of work with masks among Roman playwrights must have been different from those of Greek patterns. Analyzing the list of Greek characteristic masks offered by the Greek grammarian of the II-nd century B.C. Julius Pollux the author concludes in considering that Plautus and Terence could operate with several main types of masks inherited from Athenian New Comedy adding individual features to them and varying masks from different forms of performances while using the acquaintance of Roman public with masks of atellana.