histrio : HIS-trih-oh

(Latin; pl. histriones: stage actor or performer). Roman theatre featured professional actors who performed in comedies, tragedies, and other dramatic works for public entertainment. These performers were the histriones. Originally derived from Etruscan theatrical traditions, histriones were typically of low social status, often slaves or freedmen, despite their artistic skills and public popularity. They performed wearing masks and costumes appropriate to their characters, and the most successful histriones could achieve considerable fame and wealth. The term eventually broadened to encompass any type of stage performer or entertainer, and gives us the English word “histrionic,” reflecting the theatrical and dramatic nature of their craft.