ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 B ...

, a was a professional

jester A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs and ...

or buffoon. 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 Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...

, Balatro is used as a proper name: . An old scholiast derives the common word from the proper name, suggesting that buffoons were called because was a buffoon, though others have since objected to this account.

Festus Festus may refer to: People Ancient world *Porcius Festus, Roman governor of Judea from approximately 58 to 62 AD *Sextus Pompeius Festus (later 2nd century), Roman grammarian *Festus (died 305), martyr along with Proculus of Pozzuoli *Festus (h ...

derives the word from , and supposes buffoons to have been called because they were dirty fellows, covered with spots of mud () from walking. Another writer suggests a derivation from , because they, so to speak, carried their jesting to market, even into the very depth () of the shambles () may be connected with , "to bleat like a sheep", and hence, to speak sillily. Others have suggested a connection with , a busy-body.Gell. i. 15. (cited by Allen)

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{{reflist Jesters Ancient Roman culture Ancient Roman occupations Clowning