Note 3 — VII. The Arts and Sciences

Also used metaphorically of the part played in life, e.g. partes suscipere, sustinere, dare, tribuere, defendere, tueri. Similarly persona (properly mask) is used in several phrases, e.g. personam alicuius agere, ferre, tenere; personam suscipere or induere; personam tueri (Phil. 8. 10); personam alicui imponere (Sull. 3. 8). persona thus got the meaning of personality, individuality, character, and lastly in a concrete sense a personage of distinction. N.B.—It never represents our "person," cf. many persons were present, multi (homines) aderant.