Buxoro davlat universiteti xorijiy tillar fakulteti ingliz adabiyotshunosligi kafedrasi

Theme 2: Roman Literature 
Literature of Ancient Rome was greatly influenced by Greek poetry and drama. The
Roman poets and dramatists Naevius and Ennius and the playwrights Terence and 
Plautus adapted Greek forms to roman audiences. Cato and Sallust based their 
historical writings on Greek models. Powerful and original works were produced by 

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Rome’s greatest poets – Catullus, Lucretius, Ovid and Virgil other important works 
of latin literature include the speeches of Cicero, the satires of Horace and Guvenal, 
and the letters of Cicero. 
The Golden Age of Roman drama dates to 240 B.C when Livius 
Andronicus adapted a Greek comedy and tragedy for performance on a Roman stage. 
This was not only the beginning of Greek drama in Rome, but of formal Latin 
literature.
This coincides with the end of the first Punic War (246-241) which is the relevant 
because of the Punic War, Romans came into contact with the Greek of Southern 
Italy and Sicily. Instead of being concerned entirely with mastering their physical 
world, the Roman were now becoming a world power. In addition to adopting Greek 
drama, livius Andronicus also translated the Odyssey into Latin. 
The Romans had native form of drama which were improvised by masked actors 
like the glutton and the clown. These kind of comedy, however, were primitive in 
comparison with the Greek drama. When the Romans became acquainted with the 
Greek culture in the 3
rd
century B.C, they were drawn to the New Comedis that were 
so popular in that era. 
New Comedy, which larked the specific political and social references of Old 
Comedy translated well to Rome. Roman playwrights began to adopt Greek new 
comedies for the Roman stage. The two most famous Roman comedians were 
Plautus and Terence. All surviving Roman comedies were written by these two 
authors; 
Plautus especially original in his adaptations, turning them into musical comedies. 
Augustus, meaning the exalted was the name given Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian 
when he became the first Roman Emperior in 27 B.C The perod of Roman Republic 
ended and the era of Roman Empire began under Augustus. 
Augustus influence was so far-reaching that it lasted, and even increased, nor nearly 
200 years. Rome achieved great glory during Augustus’ reign, and the period 
became known as The Augustian Age. Thia period was The Golden Age of Roman 
literature and architecture. 
Many roads, bridges, beautiful buildings were built in Rome under Augustus. 
He boasted that ‘ he found Rome brick and left it marble’. He not only completed 
buildings left unfinished by Julius Caesar, but also restructed many structures, 
including 82 temples. Sculptors created many beautiful works in a classic style to 
decorate his buildings. 
Horace. 
One of the greatest poets of Roman literature. He is most famous for Odes, a 
collection of short poems, like songs. Some are personal poems about love, 
friendship and natural beauty. Others express Horace’s love for his birthplace and 
his religion using myths and tales of national heroes. 
Horace also wrote a more conversational kind of poetry called satires that make 
gentle fun of human weaknesses. The two books of satires and a collection of
odelike poems called Epodes are Horace’s earliest poetry. He later wrote verse 
letters to his friends about his life and poetry. These letters make up the two 
collections called Epistles.