Theatre mask of a man

This mask was found to the west of the Stoa of Attalos, Athens. The flat nose, huge open mouth and deeply wrinkled forehead render the type of the impudent slave of New Comedy. The New Comedy is the third and last period of Ancient Greek Comedy: it is comparable to situation comedy and comedy of manners. For the first time, love became a principal element in the drama. The New Comedy depicted Athenian society and the social morality of the period, presenting it in attractive colours but making no attempt to criticize or improve it.