In ancient Rome, a balatro was a professional jester or buffoon.[1] Balatrones were paid for their jests, and the tables of the wealthy were generally open to them for the sake of the amusement they afforded.

There are various theories about the origin of the term. In Horace, Balatro is used as a proper name: Servilius Balatro.[2] An old scholiast derives the common word balatro from the proper name, suggesting that buffoons were called balatrones because Servilius Balatro was a buffoon, though others have since objected to this account. Festus derives the word from blatea, and supposes buffoons to have been called balatrones because they were dirty fellows, covered with spots of mud (blateae) from walking.[3] Another writer suggests a derivation from barathrum, because they, so to speak, carried their jesting to market, even into the very depth (barathrum) of the shambles (barathrum macelli)[4] Balatro may be connected with balare, "to bleat like a sheep", and hence, to speak sillily. Others have suggested a connection with blatero, a busy-body.[5]

References

  • Public Domain This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Balatro". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. London: John Murray. p. 183.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Hor. Sat. i. 2. 2. (cited by Allen)
  2. ↑ Sat ii. 8. 21 (cited by Allen)
  3. ↑ Pauli Diaconi excerpta ex libris Pompeii Festi de significatione verborum, liber II, sub voce. See also here.
  4. ↑ Hor. Ep. i. 15. 31. (cited by Allen)
  5. ↑ Gell. i. 15. (cited by Allen)
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