actor

One who acts. The term is used in the Restatement of Torts, Second, to designate either the person whose conduct is in question as subjecting him to liability toward another, or as precluding him from recovering against another whose tortious conduct is a legal cause of the actor's injury. Sec. 2. Old European law.

A patron, proctor, advocate, or pleader; one who acted for another in legal matters; one who represented a party and managed his cause.

An attorney, bailiff, or steward; one who managed or acted for another. The Scotch "doer" is the literal translation.

Roman law.

One who acted for another; one who attended to another's business; a manager or agent. A slave who attended to, transacted, or superintended his master's business or affairs, received and paid out moneys, and kept accounts. The word has a variety of closely-related meanings, very nearly corresponding with manager. Thus, actor dominae, manager of his master's farm; actor ecclesix, manager of church property; actores provinciarum, tax-gatherers, treasurers, and managers of the public debt.

@ actor ecclesix

An advocate for a church; one who protects the temporal interests of a church.

@ actor villae

Actor villae was the steward or head-bailiff of a town or village. Plaintiff or complainant.

In a civil or private action the plaintiff was often called by the Romans "petitor;" in a public action (causa publica) he was called "accusator." The defendant was called "reus," both in private and public causes. This term, however, might signify either party, as might be concluded from the word itself. In a private action, the defendant was often called "adversarius," but either party might be called so.

Also, the term is used of a party who, for the time being, sustains the burden of proof, or has the initiative in the suit

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