Paris (Roman actor)

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Paris, name of 2 actors in Ancient Rome:

1 Under Nero
2 Under Domitian
3 Notes
4 External links

[edit] Under Nero

A slave of Domitia Lepida who became wealthy enough to buy his freedom from her, adding her praenomen and cognomen to his own name to make his citizen name Lucius Domitius Paris. In return, she influenced him via Atimetus (another of her freedmen) to use his favour with Nero himself to convince him of her fabrication that his mother Agrippina was plotting to depose him.^[1]

However, Paris stood so high in the theatre-loving Nero's favour that, even when the plot failed, he alone among the conspirators was not punished and was even declared freeborn (ingenuus) by the emperor soon afterwards, forcing Domitia to hand back the sum she had accepted to free him.^[2] However Nero later saw Paris as a rival actor to himself, and in 67, displeased that Paris had refused to teach him mime, Nero had him put to death. ^[3]

[edit] Under Domitian

Born in Egypt , he came to Rome in the reign of Domitian, where his skills as a pantomimus won him popular favour, noblewomen as lovers, influence within the imperial court and the power to promote his favourites within the court. That influence would seem to be demonstrated by the story of Juvenal's banishment to Egypt for attacking Paris^[4]

His affair with Domitian's wife Domitia Longina led Domitian to divorce her and murder Paris, and even to kill one of Paris's pupils merely for looking like Paris and ordinary people for mourning Paris's death by placing flowers and perfumes on the site where he was murdered. ^[5]

Martial composed epithet xi.13 in Paris's honour, calling him "sales Nili" (wit of the Nile) and "Romani decus et dolor theatri" (ornament and grief of the Roman theatre-world). He is also recorded in Juv. vi. 82-87 ^[6] and was the subject of Philip Massinger's play The Roman Actor.[1]

[edit] Notes

^ Tac. Ann. xiii. 19 - 22
^ Tac, Ann. 27; Dig. 12. tit. 4. s. 3. § 5
^ Dio, 63.18; Suet. Ner. 54.
^ Pseudo-Suetonius, vii. 86-91, though this story is probably unreliable.
^ Dio Cassius lxvii. 3; Suet. Dom. 3, 10
^ "When Eppia, the senator's wife, ran off with a gladiator to Pharos and the Nile and the ill-famed city of Lagus, Canopus itself cried shame upon the monstrous morals of our town. Forgetful of home, of husband and of sister, without thought of her country, she shamelessly abandoned her weeping children; and--more marvellous still--deserted Paris and the games."