Batillus is an ancient Roman mime who lived during the reign of Emperor Octavian Augustus (reigned from 30 B.C. to 14 A.D. ).
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About Batilla it is known that he was born in Alexandria (in Egypt) and, probably, was a favorite and first a slave, and then a freedman of the Maecenas in Rome. He was the first to introduce a special kind of facial expressions and for his talent he became a favorite of the Roman people; particularly successful in the comic genre and "voluptuous" stories.
His rival in art was the Cilician Pilad [1] , whose name is therefore constantly mentioned along with the name of Batilla; unlike Batilla, Pilad was a mime-tragedian. The quarrels of Batilla and Pilada caused fights in the theater between groups of mime fans in front of Augustus. In the end, the rivalry ended with the victory of Batilla, as Augustus expelled Pilada from Rome. Butillus founded the pantomime school in Rome, known over the next several centuries.
Namesake
The name Batill also bears the favorite of Anacreont , whose beauty the poet sang in his songs. On Samos , where he came from, a statue was erected in his honor.
Source
- Batill // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
Notes
- ↑ Pilad, the tragedian // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
Links
- Bathylle // Dictionnaire historique, critique et bibliographique ... - 1821. - P. 163-164 (fr.)