Who was the first clown?

The first modern clown, make-up and all, was Joseph Grimaldi, who first appeared in England in 1805. The modern clown can of course trace his or her origins to the court jester, a Joker-like figure who was allowed to misbehave in the royal court in the Middle Ages against the nobles without negative consequences. The role of a fool/Joker/Jester/ court jester itself traces its history back to the ancient Egyptian empire.