ABSTRACT
In 1999, under the editorship of Bettina Bergmann and Christine Kondoleon, a collection of articles was published as The Art of Ancient Spectacle.1 Within its pages unfolds stimulating discussion of such topics as vase painting, architecture, the Roman triumph, and the Roman funeral, to name only a few. The Roman courtroom, while absent from this collection, warrants inclusion as well. There, too, was a public gathering containing strong elements of performance and spectacle, interwoven with the less ostentatious dispensation of justice. The Roman courtroom was one of a relatively small number of public “stages” where Romans of the elite class or those wishing to attain some measure of fame could promote and advertise themselves.2
