_ars ludicra_ (De Or. 2. 20. 84)—the dramatic art.
_fabula, ludus scaenicus_—the piece; the play.
_argumentum_—the plot of the piece.
_actio_—the treatment of the piece.
_actus_—an act.
_fabulam docere_ (διδάσκειν) (of the writer) (opp. _fabulam
discere_—to study a piece, of the actor)—to get a piece played,
rehearse it.
_fabulam agere_—to act a play (said of the actors).
_fabulam edere_—to bring out a play, put it on the stage (used of the
man who finds the money).
_fabulam dare_—to produce a play (of the writer).
_in scaenam producere aliquem_—to introduce a character on the stage.
_in scaenam prodire_—to come upon the stage.
_in scaenam redire_—to reappear on the stage.
_de scaena decedere_—to retire from the stage.
_in scaenam aliquid inducere_—to bring a thing upon the stage.
_familia, grex, caterva histrionum_—a theatrical company.
_dominus gregis_—the manager.
_theatrum_[1]—the playhouse.
_theatra reclamant_—the spectators protest.
_populum facilem, aequum habere_—to have an appreciative audience.
_plaudere_ (not _applaudere_)—to applaud, clap a person.
_plausum dare (alicui)_—to applaud, clap a person.
_clamores (coronae) facere, excitare_—to elicit loud applause.
_saepius revocatur_ (Liv. 7. 2. 9)—he is encored several times.
_fabulam exigere_ (Ter. Andr. Pol.)—to hiss a play.
_fabula cadit_—a piece is a failure, falls flat.
_histrionem exsibilare, explodere, eicere, exigere_—to hiss an actor
off the stage.
_histrioni acclamare_[2]—to interrupt an actor by hooting him.
_partes agere alicuius_[3]—to play the part of some one.
_agere servum, lenonem_—to act the rôle of a slave, pander.
_actor primarum (secundarum, tertiarum) partium_—the actor who plays
the leading part.
_tragoedia_ or _fabula Antigona_ (not _Antigona trag._ or _fab._)—the
Antigone.
_in Sophoclis_ (not _Sophoclea_) _Aiace_ or _apud Sophoclem in
Aiace_—in Sophocles' Ajax.
_caterva, chorus_—the Chorus in Tragedy.
_carmen chori, canticum_—a choric ode in a tragedy.
_loci melici_—the lyric portions of a tragedy.
_diverbium_—stage dialogue.
_canticum_—a choric ode.
_ludi circenses, scaenici_—performances in the circus; theatrical
perfomances.
_ludos apparare_—to institute games.
_ludos facere, edere (Iovi)_—to give public games in honour of Jupiter.
_ludos instaurare_—to revive public games.
_munus gladiatorium edere, dare_ (or simply _munus edere, dare_)—to
give a gladiatorial show.
_gladiatores dare_—to give a gladiatorial show.
_familia_[4] _gladiatoria_ (Sest. 64. 134)—a band, troupe of
gladiators under the management of a _lanista_.
_ludus gladiatorius_—a school for gladiators.
_gladiatoribus_ (Att. 2. 19. 3)—at the gladiatorial games.
_celebritas ludorum_—crowded games.
_magnificentia ludorum_—sumptuous public games.
_ludi apparatissimi_—sumptuous public games.
_ludi Olympia_ (not _ludi Olympici_), _Pythia_—the Olympian, Pythian
games.
_Olympia vincere_ (Ολύμπια νικαν)—to win a prize at the Olympian games.
_ludi gymnici_—gymnastic contests.
_certamina gymnica_—gymnastic contests.
_stadium currere_ (Off. 3. 10. 42)—to run a foot-race.
[1] _theatrum_ = (1) the playhouse, theatre; (2) the audience, house.
It is used metaphorically for the sphere of activity, theatre, scene,
e.g. _theatrum magnum habet ista provincia_ (Cic.); _nullum theatrum
virtuti conscientia majus_ (ibid.)
[2] Livy is the first writer who uses _acclamare_ in a good sense.
[3] Also used metaphorically of the part played in life, e.g. _partes
suscipere, sustinere, dare, tribuere, defendere, tueri_. Similarly
_persona_ (properly mask) is used in several phrases, e.g. _personam
alicuius agere, ferre, tenere_; _personam suscipere_ or _induere_;
_personam tueri_ (Phil. 8. 10); _personam alicui imponere_ (Sull. 3.
8). _persona_ thus got the meaning of personality, individuality,
character, and lastly in a concrete sense a personage of distinction.
N.B.—It never represents our "person," cf. many persons were present,
_multi (homines) aderant_.
[4] Hence _familiam ducere_, metaphorically to be at the head of a
movement, to play the leading part, e.g. _in iure civili_ (Cic.) For
other phrases drawn from the wrestling-school _vid._ ix. 6.