THE DRAMATIC VALUES IN PLAUTUS

present day at public fireworks and gratis exhibitions. Naturally,
therefore, the proceedings were not too orderly ; children cried,47
women talked and shrieked, now and then a wench prepared to
push her way to the stage ; the ushers had on these festivals anything
but a holiday, and found frequent occasion to confiscate a
mantle or to ply the rod."48
Impatient if the play be delayed, and voicing their disapproval
by lusty clapping, stamping, whistling and cat-calls, they are
equally ready with noisy approval if the dramatic fare tickle their
palate.49 The tibicen, as he steps forth to render the overture, is
greeted uproariously as an old favorite. The manager perhaps
appears and announces the names of those taking part, each one of
whom is doubtless applauded or hissed in proportion to his measure
of popularity. Differences of opinion as to the merits of an
individual actor may culminate in the partisans' coming to blows.50
Horace (Ep. II. 1.200 ff.) comments on the turbulence of the
audiences of his day too ; while under the Empire factions for and
against particular actors grew up, as in the circus.51 Late-comers
of course often disturbed the Prologus in his lines. The continual
reiteration that we find in such prologues as the Amph., Cap. and
Poen. was naturally designed as a safeguard against such disturbance.
Yet these prologues were undoubtedly composed, as
Ritschl has shown (Par. 232 ff.), shortly after 146 B. C., and the
turbulence of the original audience must have been far greater.
To win the favor of such a crowd, which would groan if instead of
the expected comedy a tragedy should be announced, 52 what
methods were necessary? Slap-sticks, horse-play, broad slashing
swashbuckling humor, thick colors daubed on with lavish brush !
By Cicero's time the public had attained to such a degree of
sophistication that the slightest slip on the part of the wretched
actor was greeted by a storm of popular disapproval. "Histrio si
47Cf. Pro!' Poen. 28-9. '8Prol. Poen., I I ff.
40Plaudere, 7rCC\LV, sibilare or exsibilare, explodere, eicere were expressions
used to indicate approval or disapproval. Cf. the discussion of Oehmichen,
article Biihnenwesen in Von Muller's Handbuch der klassischen Altertumswissenschaft,
5ter Band, 3te Abteilung, § 73. 2 , p. 27I.
50C£. Pro!' Poen. 36 ff.
51Cf. Tac. A1m. 1.77. V. Oehmichen, op. cit., § 39.3, p. 220.
52V. Prol. Amph. 52-3 :
Quid contraxistis frontem? Quia tragoediam
Dixi futuram hanc?
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