﻿THE AGE OF PETRONIUS ARBITER. 117 



bus ferrent, quod mansuram theatri sedeiii posuisset ; nam antea subitariis graclibus et 

 scena in tempus structa ludos edi solitos ; vel si vetustiora repctas, stantem populum 

 spectavisse, ne, si considerct, theatro dies totos ignavia continuarct." 



But before this point of permanent theatres Avas readied, an important measure, 

 regulating the arrangements within the theatre, was adopted, the provisions of which 

 remained, with slight fluctuations, in force throughout the republican period, and 

 reached far into the times of the empire. I refer, of course, to the important " lex 

 Eoscia theatralis," which was carried, 67 B. C. (687 U. C), by the tribune L. Roscius 

 Otho, by which the first fourteen rows of seats, immediately behind the orchestra, — 

 the place granted to the senators, — were assigned to the knights ; not the ancient 

 "equites" who served " equo publico," but the " ordo equester " as constituted by the 

 " lex Sempronia judiciaria." Cf Liv. Epit. 99 : " L. Iloscius tribunus plebis legem 

 tulit, ut equitibus Romanis in theatro quatuordecim gradus proximi adsignarentur." 

 Cic. pro Murena, 19: "L. Otho, vir fortis, meus necessarius, equestri ordini restituit 

 non solum dignitatem sed etiam voluptatem. Itaque lex haec, quae ad ludos pertinet, 

 est omnium gratissima, quod honestissimo ordini cum splendore fructus quoque jucun- 

 ditatis est restitutus." Herat. Epod. 4. 15 : 



" Scdilibus magnus in primis cques 

 Othone contempto sedet." 



Horat. Epist. 1. 1. 62: 



" Eoscia, die sodes, molior lex an puerorum est 

 Nacnia, quae regnum recte facientibus offcrt." 



Veil. Pat. 2. 32 : " Et Otho Iloscius lege sua equitibus in theatro loca restituit." Plin. 

 Nat. Hist. 7. 30. 116: "Te [Cicero] suadente Roscio theatralis auctori legis ignoverunt 

 notatasque se [sc. tribus] discrimine sedis aequo animo tulerunt." Dio Cass. 36. 25 : 

 ^EoTivejKe fiev ovv Kai 6 'PaaKio'i vo/xov, eai'jvejKe Be koI 6 Paio? Ma'Wio? [Mai^/Xio?], ore eBrjfidp- 

 ')(i](Tev • uX)C eKelvo^ fiev (ra? jap twv [jnmov ra^; ev to2s Oedrpoi'^ k'Bpai aKpi/3(io<s aTTO raiv aXK(ov 

 a<pa>pi,ae) Kac eiraivov eir avTui eXa^ev. Plut. Cic. 13: Aeijua S avrov t?;? -Trep], rov \ojov 

 ^apiTo<; Kat, to Trepi, ra? ^eu? ev Ty virareM ryevofievov • tcov yap ittttikcov TrpoTepov ev roll Bearpoi.'s 

 avafiefiLjixevuiv rot? 7ro\Xo(,9, Kai fxera rov Bri/j,ov 6ea>fiev(ov, w? erv^e, TrpcoTO? SieKpivev eiri, rifi^ 

 TOUi tTTTrea? otto tcov aX\(ov -rroXncov MdpKo^[J^ OOcov <7TpaTi]'y(ov[T\ km Bievei/iev iSiav eKeivoa 

 6eav, rjv ert Kac vvv e^aipeTov eyovai. Tovto Trpo'; aTifxiav o Brjfio^ eXa/3e, kuc ^avevTOt ev OeuTpco 

 OOavo^ e<pvj3pi,^cov eavpiTTev, oi Be nnrel<; vTre\a/3ov KpoTw tov avBpa \afj,irpw<;. Av6i,<; B 6 Brj/j,o<; 

 eveTeive tov crvpijfiov, elr eKeivoi, tov KpoTov. Ek Be tovtov Tpairofievoi •jrpo'i aWr]\ov<; e'^pwvTO 

 XoiBopiaiv, Kai, TO OeaTpov aicoap.ia KUTel^ev. Eirei, B o KiKepuiv tjKe irvdofievof km, tov Brip-ov 

 eKKaKe(7a<i Trpo^ to t?;? Evvov<; lepov, eTreTifiTjcre Kac Trapyveaev, aTreXdovTes avOi,<; ei? to Oearpov 

 VOL. VI. NEW SERIES. 16 



