ACROA´MA
ACROA´MA (
ἀκρόαμα),
anything heard, and especially anything heard with pleasure, signified
properly a musical piece, e.g.
vetera acroamata
(Suet.
Vesp. 19); but also a play, a dance (
Plin. Ep. 6.31,
13), or a recitation, such as were common at meals. The word is also
applied to the actors and musicians who were employed to amuse guests during
an entertainment (
Cic. Ver. 4.22, 49;
pro Arch. 9, 20; Suet.
Octav. 74;
Macr. 2.4), or even
an actor on the stage (Cic.
pro Sest. 54, 116:
ille maximus ludius, non solum spectator, sed actor
et acroama (an artiste),
qui omnia sororis
embolia novit). See Friedländer,
Sittengesch.
Roms, i.3 p. 334; Marquardt,
Röm. Alterth. vii. p. 327; and it is sometimes
used to designate the
anagnostes (
Nep. Att. 14). [
ANAGNOSTAE]
[
W.S] [
A.S.W]
