in general, signifies a person who acts or performs something.

in the drama, is a person who represents some part or character upon the theatre. The drama in its original only consisted of a simple chorus, who sang hymns in honour of Bacchus; so that the primitive actors were only fingers and musicians. Thespis was the first who introduced a persona, or actor, to ease the chorus, by reciting the adventures of some of their heroes. Aeschylus introduced a second, and changed the ancient recitals into dialogues. Sophocles added a third, in order to represent the variety of incidents in a more natural manner. And here the Greeks stopped; at least we do not find, in any of their tragedies, above three persons in the same scene, though, in their comedies, they took a greater liberty. The ancient actors were masked, which must have been a great disadvantage to their action, as they were thereby deprived of all the variety of expression the countenance is capable of. Actors were as much honoured at Athens, as they were despised at Rome. The French have, in this particular, adopted the manner of the Romans, and the English that of the Athenians. See Drama.

**ACTORUM tabulae**, in antiquity, were tables inscribed by Servius Tullius, in which the births of children were registered. They were kept in the treasury of Saturnus.