Roman Republican Actors

In connection with the annual celebration in honor of the Roman spring goddess Flora that roughly corresponds with May Day, I've been researching the bawdy scenic games or mimes performed during the Floralia. I anticipate writing more on that specific subject for the next Myth Monday. Meanwhile, I've been reading tangential articles. Some of you may appreciate the most recent one. It exposes some problems in making general statements about ancient Rome. The article is:

"Roman Republican Actors: A Conspectus"
Charles Garton
Studies in Philology, Vol. 63, No. 4 (Jul., 1966), pp. 473-498.

Here are areas where one faces problems:

Literal Accuracy or Helpfulness

Garton says that in a 1919 list of actors from the Roman Republic, the list's author, G.K. G. Henry, says 20 actors are mentioned by name. Including anonymous performers and doubtful characters, Garton says there are actually 37. Should they all be included? What about an actor who performed once under duress (Decimus Laberius whom Julius Caesar, celebrating a triumph, in 45 B.C., compelled to perform in a [mask-less] mime)? What about an actor who is probably not a person at all but a stock character? What about actors mentioned but not named? Garton says, "In a strict prosopography it would be correct to omit them, but if the aim is to provide as useful an ancilla as possible..." they should be included.

Fluid and Fluctuating Categories

Stagefolk

At first thought, it may seem obvious to us what an actor is today, but what about an entertainer, let alone those people who perform on reality television? The situation had its parallels in the ancient world. Garton says some scholars restrict their writing about ancient actors to those who performed in comedy or tragedy, but Garton thinks performers in mimes should be included. Where is the limit, though? What about Clodius Pulcher as a flute-girl at the Bona Dea Festival? Is a mimetic dancer different substantially from a regular dancer?

What Is Meant by a Roman?

There is little controversy in dating the end of the Roman Republic to 31 B.C. While 510 B.C. for the start of the Republican period may or may not be controversial, it brings with it its own series of problems. Is an actor in pre-Samnite Wars Campania in 510 a Roman actor? [See Wars of the Roman Republic and Expansion of Rome.] What about an actor who performs in Latin in a Roman festival, but abroad?

How would you resolve such issues?

Mask image © Clipart.com.