Praetexta

Fabula praetexta is a Roman literary genre.

The fabulae praetextae are after the official costume of the higher Roman officials, the toga praetexta, named tragedies of Latin literature. The name should correspond to the high status of the tragedy with their high language. The contrast to this is the fabula togata. She plays in the Roman milieu.

As a first example applies the praetexta Clastidium of Naevius, which describes the victory of Marcellus on a Gallierhäuptling. Another piece should have acted by Romulus.

The praetexta only completely preserved is Octavia. It is indeed attributed to Seneca the Younger, but is not by him but by a poet of the Flavian period.