Galeria Copiola (96 BC – AD 9 or after) was an

ancient Roman In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

dancer ''(emboliaria)'' and actress whom

Pliny Pliny may refer to: People * Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'') * Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...

includes in a list of notable female nonagenarians and

centenarian A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100 years. Because life expectancies worldwide are below 100 years, the term is invariably associated with longevity. In 2012, the United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living cente ...

s in his '' Natural History''. Because of Pliny's notice, Galeria is one of the few performing artists in

classical antiquity Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...

whose career milestones can be precisely dated.

Performance genre

The ''embolimon'' (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

, literally an "insert") was a musical number performed between the acts of a play. In Roman theatre, the ''embolium'' (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

, plural ''embolia'') in which Galeria specialized was an interlude, probably solo, performed by a dancing girl or ''mima''. The ''embolium'' is treated in modern scholarship as a form of

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

requiring turns,

leaping Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jumping can be distinguished from running, galloping and o ...

, versatility of movement, sudden "freezing," and a particular repertoire of hand gestures. The ''embolium'' interlude was part of the mixed musical-comedy genre called ''mimus''. Roman ''mimus'' was regularly performed without

masks A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practi ...

, in contrast to virtually every other form of ancient theatre for which female roles were performed by men. ''Mimus'' gave women opportunities to earn a living as professional entertainers, and Galeria's career is evidence of the long-lived acclaim and financial reward they might achieve. Galeria Copiola is one of only four performers of ''embolia'' whose names are preserved, the others being Sophê Theorobathylliana, Phoebe Vocontia, and an Oppius who is the only recorded male ''embolarius''.

Career

Galeria made her stage debut in 82 BC at the age of 13 or 14, during

Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force. Sulla had ...

dictatorship A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, which holds governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Politics in a dictatorship are ...

, in a theatrical event produced by the

plebeian aedile ''Aedile'' ( ; la, aedīlis , from , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings () and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enf ...

Marcus Pomponius. The occasion was either the Feast of Ceres in April or the

Plebeian Games The Plebeian Games (Latin ''Ludi Plebeii'') were an ancient Roman religious festival held November 4–17. The games ''(ludi)'' included both theatrical performances ''(ludi scaenici)'' and athletic competitions for the purpose of entertaining the ...

in November. A Roman girl came of age at around 12 to 14, and entertainers seem to have begun their career at this time. Galeria's renown was such that when the dedication ceremonies were held for the monumental

Theatre of Pompey The Theatre of Pompey ( la, Theatrum Pompeii, it, Teatro di Pompeo) was a structure in Ancient Rome built during the latter part of the Roman Republican era by Pompey the Great (Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus). Completed in 55BC, it was the first perma ...

in 55 BC, she was brought out of retirement as a "living legend." A number of former luminaries of the stage appeared, among them the aging actor

Aesopus Aesop ( or ; , ; c. 620–564 BCE) was a Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as ''Aesop's Fables''. Although his existence remains unclear and no writings by him survive, numerous tales cre ...

, whose performance fell short of the reputation he had earned in his prime.

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...

, who attended, remarked, without naming Galeria specifically, that it might have been better for the older entertainers to have rested on their laurels. Galeria was about 40 at the time. Since she was still physically able to perform, and enjoyed good enough health to live to a remarkable old age, her retirement must have been by choice, enabled by significant earnings. Galeria's last public appearance was at the

votive A votive offering or votive deposit is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally ...

games ''(

ludi ''Ludi'' (Latin plural) were public games held for the benefit and entertainment of the Roman people (''populus Romanus''). ''Ludi'' were held in conjunction with, or sometimes as the major feature of, Roman religious festivals, and were also ...

)'' celebrated in honor of

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

in AD 9, when she was 104. Pliny says nothing about the performance itself, or whether she appeared only as a guest of honor.Starks, "Pantomime Actresses," p. 124. Pliny records that "Galeria Copiola the ''emboliara'' was brought back onstage at age 104 in AD 9 for the votive games honoring the recovery of the Divine Augustus" ''(Galeria Copiola emboliara reducta est in scaenam C. Poppaeo Q. Sulpicio cos. ludis pro salute Divi Augusti votivis annum CIIII agens)''.

References

{{Authority control 96 BC births 1st-century deaths 1st-century BC Romans 1st-century Roman women Ancient actresses Ancient Roman actors Ancient Roman centenarians Ancient Roman theatre practitioners Copiola Ancient Roman dancers Women centenarians Year of death unknown

Performance genre

Career

See also

References