Performing Mime in the Idylls of Theocritus: Metrical Mime, Drama, and the “Everyday” in Theocritus, Idylls 2, 14, 15

Miles, Sarah

Abstract

Idylls 2, 14, and 15 are earmarked by scholars for their overt relationship with ancient mime. They have long carried the label “urban mimes,” but what is mime, let alone “urban mime,” and what is Theocritus’ relationship with the poorly preserved art form of mime? This chapter addresses these questions using Idylls 2, 14, 15, Theocritus’ other work, and that of his artistic contemporaries and predecessors. Section 1 explores the definition of mime in the Idylls of Theocritus, identifying four common characteristics: the urban, the human (“everyday”), the focus on character, and female voices. Section 2 looks at the influence of drama (comedy and tragedy) and epigram on Theocritus. Section 3 explores Theocritus’ relationship with his predecessor Sophron, the fifth-century composer of mime. Section 4 compares Theocritus with Herodas’ Mimiambs, a Hellenistic hybrid of mime and iambic verse, which also give prominence to the female voice. Section 5 analyses how the reception of Theocritus’ Idylls has influenced our attitude and approach to Theocritus and mime. Section 6 concludes that the key to Theocritus’ engagement with mime is that it is a performance-rooted genre, which enables Theocritus to draw in the audience and draw out the powerful, vibrant humanity of the Idylls.

Citation

Miles, S. (2021). Performing Mime in the Idylls of Theocritus: Metrical Mime, Drama, and the “Everyday” in Theocritus, Idylls 2, 14, 15. In P. Kyriakou, E. Sistakou, & A. Rengakos (Eds.), Brill's Companion to Theocritus (154-175). Brill Academic Publishers

• Online Publication Date: Aug 16, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Deposit Date: Sep 3, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 7, 2021
• Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
• Pages: 154-175
• Series Title: Brill's Companions to Classical Studies
• Book Title: Brill's Companion to Theocritus
• Chapter Number: 6
• ISBN: 9789004466715
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1624754
• Publisher URL: https://brill.com/view/title/38716?language=en