Bassilla (fl. 3rd century CE), was a mime actress in Ancient Rome. A memorial was made to her memory by her colleague, the actor-dancer Heracleides, at the Roman amphitheatre of

Aquileia Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river Natiso (modern Natisone), the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times. Today, the city is small ( ...

. The memorial consists of a stone stele, which features a carved portrait of Bassilla, shown in fine, modest clothing and a dignified pose. Beneath the portrait there is a Greek-language inscription praising her. She was an actress in Roman mime, described as a stage performer who acted both in speaking roles in theatre plays and pantomime performances, as a dancer, and as part of the chorus. Her fame reached across many cities of the Empire. She was referred to as an ''archimima'', which was the title of the leading lady in a Roman theatre, and her epitaph praised her as a "10th

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

". She may have been particularly noted for performing death scenes, as her epitaph describes her as having "died many a time on stage - but never thus!". A role she is believed to have performed was the famous comedy role of the plotting wife Charition. Pat Easterling,

Edith Hall Edith Hall, (born 4 March 1959) is a British scholar of classics, specialising in ancient Greek literature and cultural history, and professor in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham University. She is a Fellow of the Bri ...

:
Greek and Roman Actors: Aspects of an Ancient Profession
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References

Ancient actresses Ancient Roman actors Ancient Roman theatre practitioners 3rd-century Roman women Ancient Roman dancers Ancient singers 3rd-century deaths Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown 3rd-century musicians 3rd-century women musicians {{AncientRome-bio-stub