The origins of pantomime are uncertain, but, from some point during the first century BCE and surviving into the Byzantine era, pantomime was a vastly popular art form throughout the Greco-Roman world. Literary references, the remains of theatres, epigraphic evidence and art works are all testimony to the ubiquity of pantomime from Britain to the Near East.
What was Pantomime?
Combining theatre and dance, the performance of pantomime centred around a single dancer, masked and sometimes elaborately costumed, bringing to life a story, using dance and gesture to convey action and emotion, in a manner similar to modern ballet or Indian classical dance.
The narrative was often derived from mythology or from Greek tragedy, though dances based on pastoral or erotic themes could provide lighter entertainment. The setting of pantomime performances could range from a packed theatre, during a festival, to an intimate dinner party entertainment. While the pantomime actor would be accompanied by musicians and sometimes singers, librettists or chorus dancers, he or she would embody each of the principle roles of the drama in turn, exchanging masks, throughout the performance, to indicate change of character. The word ‘pantomime’ derives from the fact that the one performer would take on all the roles, as ‘panta’ is the Greek for ‘all’ and ‘mimesis’ is to imitate or act. The overall effect of a pantomime performance was highly dramatic, noisy and emotional.
Who were the Pantomime Dancers?
While there were female pantomime actors, the most prominent exponents of the art appear to have been male. Famous names that survive through inscriptions and literary references include Bathyllus and Pylades, who were among the first exponents of the art known in Rome, at the time of Augustus. Succeeding generations of dancers would adopt these resonant names as their ‘stage name’. The most famous and successful pantomime actors were close to the equivalent of modern day pop stars or film actors. They undertook extensive performance tours and were feted by ardent fans, whose support sometimes spilt over into violent and disorderly conduct or could be a focal point for expressions of political discontent.
Dancers are frequently represented in literature as being the focus of erotic fascination by both men and women. In a sense, pantomime dancers occupied a social role comparable to that of gladiators. Often slaves or former slaves, even when freeborn, pantomime actors, along with other popular performers, were legally infamis, not equal to their fellow-citizens, due to the disreputable nature of their trade, which was seen as tantamount to prostitution. Like gladiators, however, dancers though officially looked down on, by elite society, were feted and celebrated at all social levels. Sulla, a leading politician of the Late Roman Republic is noted disapprovingly by Plutarch as being fond of the company of theatrical performers, including Sorex the ‘archmime’ (Plutarch: Life of Sulla 2.4, 36.1).
The Cultural Impact of Pantomime on the Roman Empire
Pantomime was a form of entertainment available to all the inhabitants of the larger towns and cities of the Roman Empire. As well as more private and exclusive venues, it was performed in the streets and at large public theatres, where attendance was usually free of charge. Relying on dance and gesture to convey a narrative (although there might be additional librettists or singers) it could be enjoyed and understood by those without any schooling or even knowledge of Latin or Greek. In that way, pantomime served as a medium of classical culture. Only a narrow social elite might have either the education or the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the plays of the Greek tragedians, but everyone could watch the dances based, however loosely, on their plots. Pantomime constituited a common cultural currency, throughtout the Empire.
In summary, the lone, masked pantomime dancer was a peculiarly compelling figure, whose virtuosity in conveying emotion, character and story, through a repertoire of movements and gestures, delighted and educated all levels of Greco-Roman society, from slaves to emperors, for many centuries.
References:
New Directions in Ancient Pantomime ed. Edith Hall and Rose Miles, OUP, 2008
Plutarch “Life of Sulla” (Link to Perseus translation)
Sarah Maguire - Sarah Maguire is a writer with a doctorate in Classical Studies from Swansea University, who loves bringing the ancient world to life for ...
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