Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

612 ITlSTRIO. HISTRIO.
the actors would sometimes attack the most forward Gronov. ad iev. 1. c.) The name histrio, which
of the audience, and quarrels of this kind ended originally signified a dancer, was now applied to
not unfrequently in blows and wounds. (Demosth. the actors in the drama. The atellanae were
de Coron. p. 314, de Faes. Leg. p. 449; Andocid. played by freeborn Romans, while the regular
c. Alcib. p. 121; Athen. ix. p. 406.) At a later drama was left to the histriones who formed a
period, however, persons began to devote them- distinct class of persons. It is clear from the words
selves exclusively to the profession of actors, and of Livy, that the histriones were not citizens; that
distinguished individuals received even as early as they were not contained in the tribes, nor allowed
the time of Demosthenes exorbitant sums for their to be enlisted as soldiers in the Roman legions;
performances. Various instaIlces are mentioned in and that if any citizen entered the profession of
Biickh's 1-'ubl. Econ. of Athens, p. 120, &c. At histrio, he, on this account, was excluded from his
the time when Greece had lost her independence, tribe. Niebuhr (Hist. of' Rome, i. p. 520, note
we find regular troops of actors, who were either 1 150) thinks differently, but does not assign any
stationary in particular towns of Greece, or wan- reason for his opinion. The histriones were theredered from place to place, and engaged themselves fore always either freed-men, strangers, or slaves,
wherever they found it most profitable. They and many passages of Roman writers show that they
formed regular companies or guilds, with their were generally held in great contempt. (Cic. pro
own internal organisation, with their common offi- Ar/ch. 5; Corn. Nep. Praefat. 5; Sueton. Tib. 35.)
cers, property, and sacra. We possess a number Towards the close of the republic it was only se-cl
of inscriptions belonging to such companies, with men as Cicero, who, by their Greek education,
decrees to honour their superiors, or to declare their raised themselves above the prejudices of their
gratitude to some king by whom they had been en- countrymen, and valued the person no less than
gaged. But these actors are generally spoken of the talents of an Aesopus and Roscius. (Macro)b.
in very contemptuous terms; they were perhaps in Sat. ii. 10.) But notwithstanding this low estisome cases slaves or freedmen, and their ordinary mation in which actors were generally held, dispay seems to have been seven drachmae for every tinguished individuals among them attracted inlperformance. (Lucian,.calromen. 29, de JlIerced. mense crowds to the theatres, and were exorbitantly
C(onzd. 5; Theophrast. Chainact. 6.) paid. (Cic. c. J;err. iv. 16.) Roscius alone re(Compare MUller, Hlist. of Greek Lit. i. p. 304, ceived every day that he performed one thousand
&c.; Becker, Ctarikles, ii. p. 274; Bode, Gesca, denarii, and Aesopus left his son a fortune of
der Dram'. Dichtekunst der fiellenen, 2 vols. ].839 200,000 sesterces, which he had acquired solely
and 1840.) by his profession. (Macrob. l.c.) The position of
2. RIo.-A N. The word histrionies, byv which the the histriones was in some respects altered during
Roman actors were called, is said to have been the empire. By an ancient law the Roman magisformed firom the Etruscan hister which signified a trates were empowered to coerce the histriones at
ludio or dancer. (Liv. vii. 2; Val. Max.. ii. 4. ~ 4; any time and in any place, and the praetor had the
compare Plut. Qzaest. Rosn. p. 289, c.) In the right to scourge them (jus virgparmau in histriones).
year 364 B.. Rome was visited by a plague, and This law was partly abolished by Augustus, in as
as no human means could stop it, the Romans are far as he did entirely away with the jus virgarum,
said to have tried to avert the anger of the gods and confined the interference of the magistrates to
by scesic plays (ludi scenici), which, until then, the time when, and the place where (ludi et scene)
had been unknown to them; and as there were no the actors performed. (Tacit. Annal. i. 77.) But
persons at Rome prepared for such performansces, he nevertheless inflicted very severe pnnishments
the Romnans sent to Etruria for them. The first upon those actors who, either in their private life
histriones who were thus introduced from Etruria, or in their conduct on the stage, committed any
were dancers, and performed their movements to impropriety. (Suet. Augo. 45.) After these rethe accompaniment of a flute. That the art of gulations of Augustus the only legal punishments
dancing to this accompaniment should have been that could be inflicted upon actors for improper
altogether unknown to the Romans is hardly credi- conduct, seem to have been imprisonment and
ble; the real secret nust have been in the mode exile. (Tacit. Annal. iv. 14, xiii. 28.) The jus
of dancing, that is, in the mimic representations of virgarum is indeed said to have been restored to
the dancers, such as they are described by Diony- the praetor by a law of Augustus himself (Paull.
sius (Adntiq. Rom. vii. 72) and Appian (viii. 66). oSent. v. tit. 26), not expressly, but by the interThat the Etruscans far excelled the Romians in pretation put upon this law by the jurists. But
these mimic dances, is more than probable'and this interpretation cannot have become valid till
eve find that in subsequent times also, a fresh sup- after tile reign of Tiberius, of whom it is clcarly
ply of Etruscan dancers (hietariones) came to Rome. stated that he refused to restore the jus virgarum,
(Miller, Etrusk. iv, 1. 6.) Roman youths after- because it had been abolished by his predecessor.
wards not only imitated these dasncers, but also (Tacit. innal. i. 77.) These circumstances, and
recited rtde and jocose verses, adapted to the the favour of the emperors, increased the arrogance
mnovemnents of the dance and the melody of the flute. and the loose conduct of the histriones, and tlhe
This kind of amusements which was the basis of theatres were not seldom the scenes of bloody
the Roman drama, remained unaltered until the fights. I-Hence Tiberius on one occasion found hinmtime of Livius Androllicus, who introduced a slave self obliged to expel all histriones from Italy
uponl the stage for the purpose of singing or reciting (Tacit. Annal. iv. 14; Dion Cass. lix. 2); but
the recitativej while he himself performed the ap- they were recalled anld patronised by his successor.
propriate dance and gesticulation. [CANTICUIe.] (Dion Cass. lix. p. 738.) Some of the later emA further step itn the development of the drama, perors were exceedingly fond of histriones, and
which is likewise ascribed to Livius, was, that the kept them for their private amusement (histriones
dancer and reciter carried on a dialogue, and acted ealici, Spartian. IHadriaen. c. 19; Jul. Capitol.
a story with the accompaniment of tile flate. (See rerus, c. 8). They performed at the repasts of