I. A kind of low-heeled, light shoe, worn by the Greeks; a slipper, sock, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 94; id. Ep. 5, 2, 60; id. Bacch. 2, 3, 98; id. Pers. 1, 3, 44; id. Cist. 4, 2, 29: “soccos, quibus indutus esset,” Cic. de Or. 3, 32, 127; id. Rab. Post. 10, 27; Cat. 61, 10 et saep.—When worn by Romans they were a sign of effeminacy, Suet. Calig. 52; Sen. Ben. 2, 12, 1; Plin. 37, 2, 6, § 17.—The soccus was worn especially by comic actors (the cothurnus, on the contrary, by tragic actors).—Hence,
II. Transf., comedy (as cothurnus, tragedy), Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 174; id. A. P. 80; 90; Ov. R. Am. 376; Mart. 8, 3, 13: “comicus soccus,” Plin. 7, 30, 31, § 111; cf.: “nec tragoedia socco ingreditur,” Quint. 10, 2, 22: risus socci; “opp. luctus cothurni,” Claud. in Eutr. 1, 299.
