Ettore Romagnoli, rievocatore of ancient Greek drama.

This article examines the Italian classicist Ettore Romagnoli’s role in popularizing ancient Greek drama through his translations and artistic direction of classical performances at the Greek theatre of Syracuse between 1914 and 1927. Romagnoli’s aesthetic approach, termed "artistic Hellenism," sought to renew Italian theatre by integrating poetry, music, dance, and visual arts under the guidance of a single knowledgeable director modeled on the ancient chorodidaskalos. Although initially supported by the Fascist regime, Romagnoli was dismissed from the National Institute of Ancient Drama (INDA) in 1928 due to institutional conflicts and differing artistic visions, after which the regime favored a more collective and anonymous theatrical production model. Romagnoli’s later efforts to establish a Fascist Institute of Classical Drama to continue his vision were unsuccessful, yet his productions remained influential as a model for staging ancient drama and for the development of mass theatre under Fascism.