ROSWITHA, rǒs′vë-tä, or HROTSWITHA, hrǒts′vě-tä, German poet: b. about 932; d. about 1002. She was of Saxon birth and a nun in the Benedictine convent of Gandersheim, Brunswick; the first German poet and the first dramatist since the Roman period. She wrote sacred legends, a poetical chronicle of the reign of Otto I and six Latin comedies for performance before the sisterhood. The latter were imitations of Terence, and without attempting a development of character they displayed rapidity of action and good theatric effect. Her works were first published at Nuremberg in 1501; translations were made by Benedixen in 1850–53. The best edition was published by Barack in 1858. Consult Köpke. 'Hrotsuit von Gandersheim' (1869).