Atellani

Ātella, ae, f., = Atella.

I.

An ancient town of the Osci, in Campania, on the Clanius, near the present Aversa, Cic. Agr. 2, 31; Suet. Tib. 75; Sil. 11, 14; cf. Mann. Ital. I. p. 779.—

II.

Derivv. Ātellānus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Atella, Atellan:

municipium,

Cic. ad Q. Fr. 2, 14 fin.: Ātel-lāni, ōrum, m., the inhabitants of Atella, Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 63.—But esp. freq. Atellana fabula, fabella, or simply Ātellāna, ae, f., a comic but not wanton kind of popular farce that originated in Atella, which, with the comedy borrowed from Greece, was highly relished at Rome, especially by the youth, and continued to be represented even to the time of the emperors; the class. passage for it is Liv. 7, 2, 12; Juv. 6, 71; Suet. Tib. 45; id. Calig. 27; id. Ner. 39; Gell. 12, 10, 7; 17, 2, 8; Fest. s. v. personata, p. 217 Müll.; Diom. pp. 487 and 488 P.; Varr. L. L. 7, §§ 29, 84; 95 Müll.; Cic. Fam. 9, 16, 7 al.; cf. Munk de Fabulis Atellanis, Lips. 1840, and Teuffel, Rom. Lit. §§ 6, 4 and 9 sq.—Hence,

III.

Derivv.

1.

Ātellā-nus, i, m., an actor in an Atellan farce, Suet. Galb. 13; Quint. 6, 3, 47; also as adj.:

gesticulator,

Tert. Spect. 17.—

2.

Ātellā-nĭus, a, um, adj., pertaining to the Atellan farce:

versus,

Cic. Div. 2, 10, 25:

ars,

Macr. S. 1, 10.—

3.

Ātellānĭcus, a, um, adj., the same:

exodium,

Suet. Tib. 45:

versus,

Petr. 68, 5.—

4.

Ātellānĭŏla, ae, f. dim., a small Atellan piece, M. Aur. ap. Fronto, Ep. ad M. Caes. 2, 3.