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SPECTACLE ENTERTAINMENTS OF EARLY IMPERIAL ROME. Richard C. Beacham. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999; pp. xii + 306. $35.00.
Richard Beacham seeks to provide, in the words of his introduction, "a 'theatrical history' of Rome from the last decades of the Republic to the death of Nero" (x). "Theatrical history" for Beacham includes not only all kinds of spectacle - theatrical performance, gladiatorial and similar games, the circus, triumphs, and funerals - but also what he describes as the increasing "theatricalization" of Roman society from the rise of Pompey through the lulio-Claudian era. Beacham argues not only that spectacles became ever more important in these years, but that public life in general became more and more like a theatrical performance. The various steps in this progression form the central themes of Beacham's narrative: the use of spectacle by the competing aristocrats of the Republic, climaxing in the massive productions sponsored by Pompey and Caesar; Augustus' remarkable sense of theatre; the failure of Tiberius and Claudius to make effective use of spectacle; the theatrical megalomania of Caligula; and finally the ultimate spectacle of Nero, himself an actor on stage.
Beacham has provided a valuable service, bringing together much scattered material from ancient and modern sources into a highly readable and coherent account. He is at his best in his lucid descriptions of specific spectacles and places for spectacles: Pompey's theatre, Augustus' funeral, the murder of Caligula, Nero's Golden House and trip...