Mimus
（
μῖμος). Literally “imitation” or
“imitator”; hence applied both to the play and the actor.
I. Greek.—A sort of popular composition full of slang,
dialect, and aphorism, and written in a sort of rhythmic prose (Mahaffy,
Greek
Lit. 240), performed as a private comedy. This sort of literature in Greece apparently
originated with Sophron of Syracuse in the fifth century B.C., and was written also by his son
Xenarchus. Plato the comedian was fond of the mime, and is said to have kept a copy of Sophron
under his pillow. He also imitated him. The fragments of Sophron were collected by Botzon
(1867). See
Fuhr, De Mimis Graecorum (1860).
II. Roman.—The Roman mimus was a more or less
unconventional character-play of every-day life acted without masks or buskins. It deals more
with town life than the Atellanae, which it somewhat resembles, and was developed among the
Latins out of the character-dances that were originally performed between the acts at the
theatres or in private houses (Mommsen,
Hist. of Rome, iv. 689). The mimus
became very popular at Rome, and was finally made a sort of afterpiece (
exodium). It was acted in front of the curtain (
siparium) by an
actor (also called
mimus) who wore no buskins, and was hence styled
planipes. He also had no mask, but wore a sort of harlequin coat of many
colours (
centunculus) and a
phallus. The chief
characters were the
archimimus, or hero, and the
stupidus or
parasitus, the butt of the hero. The female parts were
played by women (
mimae). Dancing, largely of an indecent and suggestive
character, formed a feature of the mime, and horse-play was the rule. (See Mayor on
Juv. v. 171.) Contrary to the usual rule of the Roman stage, political
criticism was allowed in the dialogue of the mimes. The subjects were very miscellaneous,
ranging from seduction to ghost-stories. The greatest writer of mimes was Publilius
Syrus (q.v.), who was famous for the maxims (
sententiae) with which he furnished his text. Some 500 lines ascribed to him
are collected by Ribbeck in his
Com. Lat. Reliquiae. See Patin,
Études sur la Poésie Latine, ii. 346-365
(Paris,
1875);
Grysar, Der röm. Mimus (1854); and
Friedländer,
Sittengeschichte Roms, vol. ii.
