Gaius Ummidius Actius Anicetus was a Roman pantomime actor who lived in Pompeii.James L. Franklin, Jr. 1987. “Pantomimists at Pompeii: Actius Anicetus and His Troupe.” The American Journal of Philology 108.1:95-107.
Actius is attested in an inscription from Puteoli that identifies him as a pantomime actor."Gaius Ummidius Actius Anicetus, pantomime" ILS 5183 The possibility has been raised that Actius may be the freedman (libertus) of Ummidia Quadratilla who is discussed in the letters of Pliny the Younger.Pliny Epist. 7.24.1 Various graffiti found at Pompeii record praise for Actius. These include: "Actius, master of stage performers." from tomb 4 in the Fondo Pacifico near the amphitheater of PompeiiCIL 4, 5399 "Actius, greetings." from the large theater at PompeiiCIL 4, 4965 a possible mention of Actius from Herculaneum: "Lucius Actius, hail. Mysticus, the musician, of the comedian Icuus ... we were for you."CIL 4, 10643c
An actor named Actius also appears in Unit 1, Stage 5 of the Cambridge Latin Course.
References