Actors and Icons of the Ancient Theater

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Csapo's book covers an impressive range of different topics and periods in ancient theatrical history." (The Times Literary Supplement, 8 July 2011) "No scholar of the ancient theater can afford to ignore the arguments put forward in this stimulating and exciting book." (Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 1 April 2011) "Csapo provides an excellent collection of Oxford lectures (all revised) that rehearse and challenge old evidence and preconceived theories on the history and image of actors from classical Greece to early imperial Rome...What sets this book apart from similar work is its superb collection and socioeconomic study of extant ancient artifacts. This is a fascinating read of the ancient world and the dynamic relationships between its theatre, politics, and popular culture." (Choice, January 2011) "Actors and Icons is a compelling account of the development of acting in antiquity, taking actors all the way from adjuncts (hypokritai who 'answer' the chorus), to famous, favoured members of the imperial circle." (Scholia Reviews, 1 October 2010) Actors and Icons of the Ancient Theater examines the realities of everyday life for actors -- and their popular reception -- from the time of theater's emergence in Classical Greece to its subsequent demise during the Roman Empire. In a series of six pioneering essays, noted Classical scholar Eric Csapo un-masks the ancient acting profession to reveal myriad facets of its social, economic, and political history. Along with addressing the evolving image of the actor in Attic and West Greek art, Csapo shows how the rapid expansion of the theater industry from about 430 BC provided the economic basis for the development of an independent and highly competitive acting profession. Other original studies reveal how the emergence of professional actors in the late fifth century changed the way tragedy and comedy were written, and what theater iconography tells us about the activity and performance styles of actors from the Hellenistic period to the Early Byzantine Empire. A final study addresses the history of the privatization of theater from Late Classical to Imperial times. Revelatory and thought-provoking, Actors and Icons of the Ancient Theater offers students and scholars alike fascinating new insights into the origins and evolution of one of the world's most enduring traditions.