Dorsennus

Fabius Dorsennus (also spelled Dossennus or Dossenus) was a thespian and author of Atellan Farce in Ancient Rome, known for his careless performances. According to Seneca his epitaph was: "Halt, stranger, and understand Dossennus' wisdom".

Description

There is some confusion regarding this figure from ancient Roman theater. In one of his epistles, Horace mentions a Dossennus:

Pliny the Elder, however, refers to a Fabius Dossennus as the author of "Acharistio," one of the Atellanae Fabulae, in his Natural History. Pliny writes:

Other uses

Dossennus was also the name of a stock character of the Atellanae Fabulae, perhaps named after Fabius Dorsennus.

Sources

• Template:In lang Pliny the Elder, Natural History, Book XIV (Original text)
• Template:In lang Pliny the Elder, Natural History, Book XIV (English translation)
• Template:In lang History of Roman Literature (1877) Template:Webarchive
• Template:In lang Meyer, Maurice, Études sur le théâtre latin