Literature
Literature was a big part of the Roman legacy. Formal Latin literature began in 240 BC, when a Roman audience saw a Greek play. The adaptor was Livius Andronicus, a Greek who had been
brought to Rome as a prisoner of war in 272 BC.
The first Latin poet to write on a Roman theme was Gnaeus Naevius. He composed an epic poem about the first Punic War, in which he had
fought. Most plays were funny comedies, though there were serious tragedies as well. The actors wore masks to show their character's expression.