in 
and Art. 
Literature 
23 
CHAPTER 
ORIGIN OF THE STAGE IN ROME.--USES OF THE MASK AMONG THE 
ROMANS.-SCENES FROM ROMAN COMEDY.--THE SANNIO AND MIMUS. 
_-THE ROMAN DRAMA.--THE ROMAN SATIRISTS.'_CARlCATURE.--' 
ANIMALS INTRODUCED IN THE CHARACTERS OF MEN.--THE PIGMIES, 
AND THEIR INTRODUCTION INTO CARICATURE; THE FARM-YARD; THE 
PAINTERIS STUDIO; THE PROCESSION.-_POLITICAL CARICATURE IN 
POMPEII; THE GRAFFITI. 
THE Romans appear to have never had any real taile for the regular 
drama, which they merely copied from the Greeks, and from the 
earlielt period of their hiitory we find them borrowing all their arts of 
this defcription from their neighbours. In Italy, as in Greece, the firtt 
germs of comic literature may be traced in the religious feftivals, which 
prefented a mixture of religious Worihip and riotous feflivity, where the 
feallers danced and fung, and, as they became excited with wine and enthu- 
fiafm, indulged in mutual reproaches and abufe. The oldelt poetry of the 
Romans, which was compofed in irregular meafure, was reprefented by the 
U87_'fMSjlllllT7liNi, faid to have been fo called from their antiquity (for things 
of remote antiquity were believed to belong to the age of Saturn). Naevius, 
one of the oldeft of Latin poets, is f-aid to have written in this verfe. Next 
in order of time came the Fefcennine verfes, which appear to have been 
diftinguifhed chieily by their licenfe, and received their name becaufe 
they were brought from F efcennia, in Etruria, where they were employed 
originally in the feilivals of Ceres and Bacchus. In the year 391 of 
Rome, or 361  the city was vifited by a dreadful plague, and the 
citizens hit upon what will appear to us the rather ftrange expedient of 
fending for performers (lucliones) from Etruria, hoping, by employing 
them, to appeafe the anger of the gods. Any performer of this kind 
appears to have been fo little known to the Romans before this, that 
there