Arbuscula

Arbuscula (1st century BCE) was a woman stage performer of ancient Rome. She was a celebrated actor in pantomimes during the 1st century BCE, when most of the female parts at the time were played by men at least in tragedy.[1]

Published in "History of Dancing from the Earliest Ages to the Our Times" (1898)

Cicero speaks of her in 54 AD as having been very successful, and having given him great pleasure.[2][3] Horace mentions her as having been hissed and booed at by an audience,[4] though it is said she did not care that the common people booed her, and remarked, "It is enough the knights still applaud me."[5]

References

1. Broadbent, R. J. (1901). A History of Pantomime. Library of Alexandria. 1. Library of Alexandria. ISBN 9781465550088. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
2. Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum 4.15
3. Horace, Serm. 1.10. 76
4. Forsyth, William (1871). Life of Marcus Tullius Cicero. Scribner. p. 333. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
5. Lintott, Andrew (2009). The Romans in the Age of Augustus. The Peoples of Europe. 19. John Wiley & Sons. p. 98. ISBN 9781444319323. Retrieved 2017-03-18.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William (1870). "Arbuscula". In Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. 1. p. 257.