Following the publication of Trendall’s Phlyax Vases, the history of comedic theatre in Magna Graecia received a great amount of scholarly attention, culminating in such important works as Taplin’s Comic Angels, Green’s Theatre in Ancient Greek Society and most recently Bosher’s dissertation, Theater on the Periphery. This work is, in many ways, a supplement to their collective research, and assesses the literary and material evidence for the development of comedy in the Apulian city of Tarentum. The analysis of textual evidence will begin by investigating Tarentine interactions with Attic theatre in the beginning of the fourth century and leading to the influence of its comic tradition on the early stages of Republican Rome through the works of Rhinthon and Livius Andronicus. An assessment of the Roman historiographical treatment of Greek theatrical influence and the vibrant Bacchic cult practices observed in the festivals of Tarentum will round out discussion of literary and textual evidence A general overview of fourth century comedic iconography production will begin the section on material culture. In this context, some notable individual pieces adduced by Taplin and Green will be addressed before other iconographpic material from Tarentine coinage and other sources will be presented. The conclusion from this body of evidence affirms a vibrant and independent tradition of comedic theatre in Tarentum that was at once amalgamative through its interactions with the festivals of the Hellenistic period and conceptually autochthonic for the Tarentines themselves. / text

Studies in acoustics, in so far as sound and hearing are concerned, are evident from the middle of the 5th century B.C. in ancient Greece. The earliest extant works originated in Tarentum with Archytas, after which the fundamentals were developed in Athens, particularly by Aristotle. Aristotle�s writings represent the transition from rudimentary hypothesising to true philosophical argument, and display accuracies missing from earlier studies. This study examines incipient acoustic theories from classical Greece, diachronically, presenting original translations of all relevant passages, to illustrate the development of fundamental consideration and the origins of acoustic science. 5th and 4th century texts are examined in detail, with questions of authenticity being answered where necessary, to decipher the true level and depth of knowledge on the subjects of sound and hearing. Extant Archytean material is paradigmatic, containing the nucleus of sound production underlying most models to follow, whilst relevant Platonic material embraces more difficult sound qualities, raising important questions for successors. The larger portion of this work centres upon the writings of Aristotle, whilst illustrating the debt he owes to his predecessors. Each aspect of sound and hearing is discussed in turn, based predominantly, though not exclusively, upon information sourced from Aristotle�s De Sensu and De Anima. Where pertinent, attention is given to his discussions of the full range of senses and sense organs. The result is a self-contained work tracing the origins and development of acoustic study from its fundamental beginnings to the critical point when the essential elements of a nascent science were in place and the door was opened for future enhancement and scientific verification.

Studies in acoustics, in so far as sound and hearing are concerned, are evident from the middle of the 5th century B.C. in ancient Greece. The earliest extant works originated in Tarentum with Archytas, after which the fundamentals were developed in Athens, particularly by Aristotle. Aristotle�s writings represent the transition from rudimentary hypothesising to true philosophical argument, and display accuracies missing from earlier studies. This study examines incipient acoustic theories from classical Greece, diachronically, presenting original translations of all relevant passages, to illustrate the development of fundamental consideration and the origins of acoustic science. 5th and 4th century texts are examined in detail, with questions of authenticity being answered where necessary, to decipher the true level and depth of knowledge on the subjects of sound and hearing. Extant Archytean material is paradigmatic, containing the nucleus of sound production underlying most models to follow, whilst relevant Platonic material embraces more difficult sound qualities, raising important questions for successors. The larger portion of this work centres upon the writings of Aristotle, whilst illustrating the debt he owes to his predecessors. Each aspect of sound and hearing is discussed in turn, based predominantly, though not exclusively, upon information sourced from Aristotle�s De Sensu and De Anima. Where pertinent, attention is given to his discussions of the full range of senses and sense organs. The result is a self-contained work tracing the origins and development of acoustic study from its fundamental beginnings to the critical point when the essential elements of a nascent science were in place and the door was opened for future enhancement and scientific verification.

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