. 
° 
eee ea 
which appear in the middle of the orcheftra at the podium; 
then the veftals, priefts, ambaffadors, fenators. That the view 
of the ftage (pulpitum) might not be intercepted, it was inge- 
nioufly contrived that the pavement of the orcheftra fhould rife 
gently from the fuggeftum to the loweft bench of the knights, 
the pavement being lowered and cut circularly in the nature of 
a belt for placing and fixing the feats, leaving a little higher 
{pace between the rows of feats to facilitate the going out and 
coming in. From the level of the orcheftra the feats of the 
knights begin, being fourteen rows as appropriated to them by 
the Rofcian and Julian laws of the theatre. At the feventh 
tow two vomitoria afford entrances, which row is therefore 
broader than the others, that the knights, who were nume- 
rous, might not be preffed by the narrownefs of the place, 
but difperfe themfelves with eafe into their feats. This thea- 
tre is founded on a very hard rock, whofe refiftance defeated 
the fkill and labour of the workmen: on that account the 
knights had only two doors, which not being fufficient, ftair 
cafes were added, one on each fide, in an open place: below, 
whofe loweft fteps go under an arch in the very profcenium. 
The upper bench of the equeftrian order is encompatffed by a 
precinGtio; by which name the ancients called a bench twice as 
high and broad as the others, which as it were girded and em- 
braced the reft. They were inferted in this manner, that the 
difference of orders, namely, fenatorial, equefirian and plebeian, 
might be apparent, and that there might be no intercourfe be-. 
tween them. Twelve benches of the people follow on a higher 
and more remote fituation, where plebeians fat; this they call 
the 
