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Roman drama has several origins, some native to Italy, some imported.
These slapstick characters and pratfalls were welded onto the tradition of Greek New Comedy, which was imported into Rome after its conquest of Greece. The actors of Roman comedy were all men, and about five of them shared out all the different roles in the play. The actors also wore masks, which were wildly distorted stereotypes, not very realistic, but funny. These plays were performed at religious festivals sponsored by junior officials in the Roman government. The audience was clearly rowdy, and drama competed for audience attention with tightrope walkers, jugglers, and gladiatorial combats.