**** Roman History and Italian Melodrama: Dall'A alla Z

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STORIA DI ROMA E MELODRAMMA ITALIANO: dall'A alla Z

This is a list of historical figures dealing with Ancient Roman history who have been characters in opera or operetta. Historical accuracy in Italian melodrama has often been subject to the imperatives of dramatic presentation. Consequently, in many cases, historical characters appear alongside fictional characters. Also, historical characters who never met, or whose lives did not even overlap, appear on stage together. Historical events depicted are transported to earlier or later times or to different places. Historical people are seen participating in entirely fictional events, or vice-versa. The actions of historical people are attributed to other persons.

REFERENCES: Jellinek, George, "History Through the Opera Glass: from the rise of Caesar to the fall of Napoleon". Pro/Am Music Resources. Morgan, Christopher, "The true stories behind operas", Oxford University Press. Heller, Wendy, "Tacitus Incognito: Opera as History in L'incoronazione di Poppea", Journal of the American Musicological Society, 52,  pp. 39–96.


EZIO. Flavius Aetius, Roman general. Giuseppe Gazzaniga, Ezio. George Frideric Handel: Ezio. Gaetano Latilla: Ezio. Giuseppe Verdi, "Attila"

AGRIPPA. Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Roman statesman and general. Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra.

ENOBARBO. Ahenobarbus, Gnaeus Domitius, Roman consul (32 BC) Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra (as Enobarbus)

ALESSANDRO .Emperor Alexander Severus of Rome. George Frideric Handel: Alessandro Severo

AUGUSTO. Caesar Augustus, Roman Emperor. Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra (as Octavius Caesar)
Aurelian, Emperor of Rome. Gioachino Rossini: Aureliano in Palmira

BRUTO. Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger. Roman politician, co-assassin of Julius Caesar. Giselher Klebe: Die Ermordung Cäsars -- L'assassinio di Giulio Cesare.Tratto da Shakespeare.

CASCA, Servilius. Co-assassin of Julius Caesar. Gaius Cassius Longinus, Roman politician, co-assassin of Julius Caesar. Giselher Klebe: Die Ermordung Cäsars

CATONE in Utica. Vivaldi.

Tillius Cimber, co-assassin of Julius Caesar. Giselher Klebe: Die Ermordung Cäsars (as Metellus Cimber)

Helvius Cinna, Roman poet. Lorenzo Ferrero: Le piccole storie – ai margini delle guerre. Giselher Klebe: Die Ermordung Cäsars

Lucius Cornelius Cinna, Roman consul. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Lucio Silla. Emperor Claudio of Rome
George Frideric Handel: Agrippina

Clelia, early Roman figure. Filippo Amadei, Giovanni Battista Bononcini and George Frideric Handel: Muzio Scevola

ORAZIO Cocles, Roman military officer. Filippo Amadei, Giovanni Battista Bononcini and George Frideric Handel: Muzio Scevola

Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus, Roman consul, husband of Lucretia. Benjamin Britten: The Rape of Lucretia

Emperor Constantine I "The Great" of Rome. Gaetano Donizetti: Fausta

Gaius Marcius Coriolanus, Roman leader. Francesco Cavalli: Coriolano

Marcus Licinius Crasso, Roman general and politician. Francesco Cavalli: Pompeo Magno

CRISPO, Flavio Giulio. Caesar of the Roman Empire. Gaetano Donizetti: Fausta

DIOCLEZIANO. Emperor Diocletian of Rome. Henry Purcell: Dioclesian

DOLABELLA. Publius Cornelius Dolabella, Roman general. Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra

Emperor Elagabalus of Rome (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus). Francesco Cavalli: Eliogabalo. Pietro Simone Agostini: Eliogabalo

ENEA, Trojan leader.

Fausta Flavia Maxima, Empress of Rome, second wife of Constantine the Great. Gaetano Donizetti: Fausta

Galla Placidia, Roman regent, daughter of Emperor Theodosius I. Jaume Pahissa i Jo: Gal·la Placídia (1913)

ADRIANO, Roman emperor. José de Nebra: Más gloria es triunfar de sí, o, Adriano en Siria. Girolamo Abos: Adriano in Siria

Julia Caesaris, daughter of Julius Caesar, 4th wife of Pompey the Great. Francesco Cavalli: Pompeo Magno

GIULIO CESARE Consul and Dictator of Rome. Francesco Cavalli: Pompeo Magno. Carl Heinrich Graun: Cesare e Cleopatra. George Frideric Handel: Giulio Cesare (in Egitto) (LONDRA) . Giselher Klebe: Die Ermordung Cäsars. Antonio Sartorio: Giulio Cesare in Egitto (VENEZIA)


Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, Roman triumvir. Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra

Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, heir to Emperor Caligula of Rome. Reinhard Keiser: Octavia

Lucan, Roman poet. Claudio Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea

Lucretia, Roman noblewoman raped by Sextus Tarquinius
Benjamin Britten: The Rape of Lucretia
Ottorino Respighi: Lucrezia

MACEDONICO. Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus, Roman general, natural father of Scipio Aemilianus
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Il sogno di Scipione, K. 126

MECENA. Gaius Maecenas, political adviser to Octavian (Caesar Augustus)
Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra

MARC'ANTONIO. Roman politician and general. Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra. Domenico Cimarosa: La Cleopatra. Louis Gruenberg: Antony and Cleopatra. Henry Kimball Hadley: Cleopatra's Night. Giselher Klebe: Die Ermordung Cäsars. Jules Massenet: Cléopâtre

Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus Herculius, aka Maximian, Roman ruler. Gaetano Donizetti: Fausta

MASSIMILIANO. Maximinian, co-Emperor of Rome. Henry Purcell: Dioclesian

MESSALINA. Valeria Messalina, Roman Empress Isidore de Lara: Messaline

METELLA. Cecilia Metella Dalmatica, fourth wife of Lucius Cornelius Sulla
George Frideric Handel: Silla

METELLA. Cornelia Metella, Pompey's second wife. George Frideric Handel: Giulio Cesare (in Egitto) (as Cornelia)

MUZIO. Gaius Mucius Scaevola, Roman figure. Francesco Cavalli: Mutio Scevola. George Frideric Handel: Muzio Scevola

NERONE. Emperor Nero of Rome. Arrigo Boito: Nerone. George Frideric Handel: Agrippina. Reinhard Keiser: Octavia. Pietro Mascagni: Nerone (as Claudio Cesare Nerone). Claudio Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea. Anton Rubinstein: Néron. Juan Manén: Acté and Neró i Acté

OTTAVIA. Empress Claudia Octavia of Rome, consort of Nero. Reinhard Keiser: Octavia
Claudio Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea

OTTAVIA. Octavia the Younger, fourth wife of Mark Antony. Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra
Jules Massenet: Cléopâtre

ORBIANA. Sallustia Orbiana, wife of Emperor Alexander Severus of Rome. George Frideric Handel: Alessandro Severo

OTTONE. Emperor Marcus Salvius Otho of Rome
Antonio Vivaldi: Ottone in villa

Gaius Petronius Arbiter, Roman courtier, writer. Claudio Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea

Gaius Calpurnius Piso, Roman senator. Reinhard Keiser: Octavia

Pompey the Great, Roman military and political leader. Francesco Cavalli: Pompeo Magno

Empress Poppaea Augusta Sabina, consort of Roman Emperors Nero and Otho. George Frideric Handel: Agrippina. Claudio Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea


Lars Porsena, King of Etruria. Filippo Amadei, Giovanni Battista Bononcini and George Frideric Handel: Muzio Scevola

Publius Valerius Publicola, Roman consul. George Frideric Handel: Muzio Scevola

ROMOLO E REMO. Twins.

Scipio Aemilianus, aka Scipio Africanus the Younger, Roman general, nephew and adopted son of Scipio Africanus the Elder. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Il sogno di Scipione, K. 126

Scipio Africanus, aka Scipio Africanus the Elder, Roman general. Francesco Cavalli: Scipione affricano
Gioacchino Albertini: Scipione Africano. George Frideric Handel: Scipione. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Il sogno di Scipione, K. 126. Antonio Sacchini: Scipione in Cartagena

Seneca the Younger, Roman philosopher, dramatist. Gavin Bryars, Philip Glass and others: The Civil Wars: A Tree Is Best Measured When It Is Down. Reinhard Keiser: Octavia. Claudio Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea

Sextus Pompey, Roman general, son of Pompey the Great. Francesco Cavalli: Pompeo Magno. George Frideric Handel: Giulio Cesare (in Egitto) (as Sesto)

Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Roman general and dictator. George Frideric Handel: Silla. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Lucio Silla

Lucius Tarquinius, one of 3 kings of Rome. Filippo Amadei, Giovanni Battista Bononcini and George Frideric Handel: Muzio Scevola

Sextus Tarquinius, son of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, King of Rome. Benjamin Britten: The Rape of Lucretia

TITO. Emperor Titus of Rome. Antonio Caldara: La clemenza di Tito. Christoph Willibald Gluck: La clemenza di Tito. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: La clemenza di Tito. Josef Mysliveček: La clemenza di Tito -- and settings of La clemenza di Tito by about 40 other composers.

Titus Manlius Torquatus, Roman dictator. Antonio Vivaldi: Tito Manlio

Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor. George Frideric Handel: Ezio

Publius Quinctilius Varus, Roman general. George Frideric Handel: Arminio

Gaius Iulius Vindex, Roman general. Anton Rubinstein: Nerone.