New Books in History Jessica Clarke, "A New History of Ancient Roman Theatre" (Liverpool UP, 2025)
Mar 13, 2026
Jessica Clarke, a historian-archaeologist who mapped theatre ruins and visual artefacts, challenges the idea that early theatre in Italy was driven by Rome. She highlights archaeological evidence from third–second century BCE Italian cities, theatre-temple complexes, and how Pompey and Augustus later reshaped theatrical identity. Clarke also discusses methodology, catalogues, and when to call something 'Roman' theatre.
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How An Archaeological Project Emerged From A PhD
- Jessica Clarke began as a literature-inclined PhD student but shifted into archaeology after discovering abundant, under-studied material.
- Her UCL PhD straddled history and archaeology, producing the research that became this book.
Rome Was Late To Theatre
- Archaeological evidence shows Roman involvement in theatrical culture was limited until the late Republic, challenging the assumption that Rome drove early Italian theatre.
- Jessica Clarke mapped ~90 theatre ruins and 928 theatrical artifacts, revealing richer theatrical activity across Italy than in Rome before Pompey.
Combine Archaeology With Texts For Fuller History
- Use under-studied archaeological and visual sources alongside texts to reconstruct theatrical history more accurately.
- Clarke compiled an online database of ~928 theatrical artefacts and mapped theatre ruins to reveal geographic and temporal patterns.
