Fabius Dorsennus or Dossennus. There is some confusion regarding this figure from ancient Roman theater. In one of his epistles, Horace mentions a Dossennus who "exceeds all measure in his voracious parasites; with how loose a sock he runs over the stage: for he is glad to put the money in his pocket, after this regardless whether his play stand or fall” (Book II, Epistle I). Pliny the Elder, however, refers to a Fabius Dossennus as the author of "Acharistio," one of the Atellanæ Fabulæ, in his Natural History (Book XIV, 15 (92)). Pliny writes: Quintus Horatius Flaccus, (December 8, 65 BC - November 27, 8 BC), known in the English world as Horace, was the leading lyric poet in Latin. ... Gaius Plinius Secundus, (23–79) better known as Pliny the Elder, was an ancient author and scientist of some importance who wrote Naturalis Historia. ... Atellanæ Fabulæ (Atellan Fables), also known as “Oscan Games” (Ludi osci), were a collection of theatrical pieces of low or buffoonish comedy popular in Ancient Rome. ...

"The wines that were the most esteemed among the ancient Romans were those perfumed with myrrh, as mentioned in the play of Plautus, entitled the 'Persian,' though we find it there stated that calamus ought to be added to it...Fabius Dossennus quite decides the question, in the following line:--'I sent them good wine, myrrh-wine'; and in his play called 'Acharistio,' we find these words: 'Bread and pearled barley, myrrh--wine too.'" Myrrh is a red-brown resinous material, the dried sap of the Commiphora myrrha tree, indigenous to Somalia. ... Titus Maccius Plautus was a comic playwright of the Roman Republic. ... Calamus may mean: Sweet flag Acorus calamus, an herb Calamus (palm genus), a genus of rattan palms Calamus (fish genus), a genus of porgies (Sparidae) Calamus, Iowa Calamus, Wisconsin Calamus, a DTP application This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the...

Dossennus, however, was also the name of a stock character of the Atellanæ Fabulæ, along with characters such as Macchus (the fool) and Bucco (the fat man), and was depicted as a wily hunchback. Atellanæ Fabulæ (Atellan Fables), also known as “Oscan Games” (Ludi osci), were a collection of theatrical pieces of low or buffoonish comedy popular in Ancient Rome. ...

Sources

Pliny the Elder, Natural History, Book XIV (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Pliny_the_Elder/14*.html#xv) (Original text)

Pliny the Elder, Natural History, Book XIV (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137&query=head%3D%23858) (English translation)

[1] (http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_histromlit_2_1_4.htm#[21) History of Roman Literature (1877)

Meyer, Maurice, “Études sur le théâtre latin” (http://remacle.org/bloodwolf/livres/meyer/un.htm#82)