MIME

(Lat. mim us; Gr. iJ.tfjt,»?, from fjufAiof^ett, I imitate.) The name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans at once to a species of dramatic entertainment, and to the authors and actors Ijy whom it was respectively composed and performed. It consisted chiefly of a rude representation of common life, and resembled the modern farce or vaudeville in its character and accompaniments. Sophron of Syracuse, who lived about 400 years before the Christian era, is considered the inventor of this species of composition. His pieces were read even witli pleasure by Plato, who is said to have introduced this kind of dramatic entertainment into Athens. (The Museum Criticum, No. 1., contains several fragments of mimes by Sophron.) At what period mimography was first practised at Rome cannot be precisely ascertained; but in the time of the emperors, and even under August us, this species of entertainment had attained a higli degree of popularity. Among the Romans, it was of a still more farcical character than among the Greeks, from whom it was borrowed, and bordered more upon such mountebank representations as Punch and Judy among ourselves, and the Fantoccini of the Italians. Mimes originally formed a part of the usual theatrical exhibitions; but they were soon introduced by the wealthy Romans into their private entertainments to divert their guests. At Rome they also held a prominent place at funerals, on which occasions their duty consisted in praising the virtues and exposing the defects of the deceased. It is, however, very probable that le licence of caricature was then admi ible; but the highest rank was not exempt from the practice. Thus, Suet on i us tells us that the archmime Favo was present at the funeral of Vespas i an: — " Sedet in funere Favo archimimus, person am ejus ferens, iraitansque, ut mos est, fact a et dicta vivi." [s. 756]