THE 



THE 



pafTed, but alfo the whole area or extent of tlie place, com- 

 mon to the adiors and ffK?ftators. 



In this fenfe, the theater was a building cncompaflcd with 

 porticoes, and furnifhed witli feats of llonc, difpofed in 

 feraicirclcs, afccndiiig gradually over one another ; which 

 encompafl'ed a fpace called the orcbrfra, in the front of 

 which was the profcenium, or pulpituiii, on which the aftors 

 performed, and which is what we diilintlly call the theater, 

 or ftage. The profcenium was divided into two parts ; the 

 one higher, on which the aftors declaimed, and the other 

 lower, on which the chorus was commonly placed. This 

 latter was railed ten or twelve feet above the pit, from 

 which there was an afcent to it ; and thus fituated, tlie chorus 

 might eafily turn either towards the aftors or towards the 

 fpeftators. 



On the profcenium ftood the fcena, a large front, adorned 

 with orders of architefture, behind which was the poft- 

 fcenium, or places where the aftors made themfelves ready, 

 retired, &c. So that the fcena, in its full extent, compre- 

 hended all the part belonging to the aftors. In the firil 

 ages of the Roman commonwealth, theaters were only tem- 

 porary, and formed of wood : tlie mod celebrated of thefe 

 was that of M. Scaurus, mentioned by Pliny. The firfl 

 fixed theater was erefted by Pompey the Great, who built 

 it very magnificently with fquare ilone. 



In the Greek theaters, the orcheftra made a part of the 

 fcena, but in the Roman theaters, none of the a6tors ever 

 defcended into the ot;chefl.ra ; which was taken up by the 

 feats of the fenators. 



The moft celebrated theaters remaining of antiquity, are 

 the theater of Marcellus, and that of Pornpey ; which are 

 alio called amphitheaters. 



At Athens are Hill feen the remains of the temple of 

 Bacchus, which was the firft theater in the world, and was 

 a mafter-piece in architefture. All theaters were confecrated 

 to Venus and Bacchus. 



Theatek, among the Moderns, more peculiarly denotes 

 the ftage, or place on which the drama, or play, is exhi- 

 bited ; anfwering to the profcenium of the ancients. 



In its full latitude, however, the theater includes the 

 whole play-houfe : in which fenfe it is a fpacious room, or 

 hall, part of which is taken up by the fcena, which compre- 

 hends the ftage, the decorations, and the machines ; and the 

 reft is diiUibuted into a fpace, called the pit, or parterre, 

 wliich is covered with feats, boxes, &c. and terminated with 

 an elevation of one or two galleries, difpofed into benches 

 afcending over one another. See D?;amatic Scenery, Play- 

 Houfe, and Scenography. 



Theater is alfo ufed in ArchiteSure, chiefly among the 

 Itahans, for an affemblage of feveral buildings, which, by 

 a happy difpofition and elevation, reprefents an agreeable 

 fcene to the eye. 



Such are moft of the vineyards at Rome ; but particu- 

 larly that of Monte Dragone, at Frefcati ; and in France, 

 the new caftle of St. Germain en Laye. 



Theater, Anatomical, in a fchool of Medicine and Sur- 

 gery, is a hall, with feveral rows of feats, difpofed in the 

 circumference of an amphitheater, having a table, bearing 

 on a pivot, in the middle, for the difteftion of bodies. 



Such is the anatomical theater of the royal garden at 

 Paris. 



The Theater at Oxford is a beautiful building, crefled 

 by archbilhop Sheldon, for the ufe of fcholaftic cxercifes. 

 See Oxford. 



THEATINES, an order of nuns, under the direftion 

 ot the TheatLns. 



There are two kinds of Theatines, under the title of 

 Vol . XXXV. 



" Sifters of the Immaculate Conception," who form two 

 different congregations, the one engaged by folemn vows, 

 and the otlicr only by fimple vows. Tiieir common foundrefs 

 was Urfula Benincafa. Thofe who make the fimple tows 

 are the moft ancient, and are called abfolutdy " Theatines 

 of the Congregation :" they had their rife at Naples in 



'583- 



Tlie others are called " Theatines of the Hermitage :" 

 the whole bufincfs of thefe is praying in retirement, and an 

 auftere folitude, to which they engage themfelves by folemn 

 vows. 



The Theatines of the firft congregation take care of the 

 temporal concerns of thefe laft. Their houfes ftand toge- 

 ther, and communicate by a large hall. Their foundrcfs 

 drew up their conilitutions, and laid the foundation of their 

 houfe at Naples ; but died before it was finifhed. 



Gregory XV. who confirmed the new inftitute under the 

 rule of St. Auguftinc, appointed that they ftiould be under 

 the direftion of the Theatins. Urban VIII. revoked this 

 article by a brief in 1624, and fubjefted them to the nuncio 

 of Naples : but Clement IX. annulled this brief, and fub- 

 mitted them anew to the Theatins by a brief in 1668. 



THEATINS, a religious order of regular priefts : thus 

 called from their firft fuperior Don John Pietro Cai-afi"a, arch- 

 biftiop of Chieti, in the kingdom of Naples, which was an- 

 ciently called Theate. 



The fame archbidiop became afterwards pope, by the 

 name of Paul IV. after having been a companion of Gaetaii, 

 or Cajetan, a Venetian gentleman, the firft founder of this 

 order, at Rome, in 1524. 



The Theatins were the firft who affumed the title of regu- 

 lar clerks. They have not only no lands, or fixed revenues, 

 either in common, or in propriety ; but they do not even 

 aflc or beg any thing ; but wait for what Providence ftiall 

 fend them for their iubfiftence. 



They employ themfelves much in foreign miflions ; and 

 in 1627, they entered upon Mingreha, where they have an 

 eftabliftiment : they have had the like in Tartary, Circaflia, 

 and Georgia ; but this they have fiiice abandoned. 



Their firft congregation appeared at Rome in 1524, and 

 was confirmed in the fame year by Clement VII Their 

 conftitutions were drawn up at a general chapter in 1604, 

 and approved by Clement VIII. They wear the prieft's 

 habit. 



THEATRE. See Theater and A.MrHnnEATER. 



THEATRIC Bandages, a term ufed by Hippocrates, 

 to exprefs the parade of furgery in applying bandages for 

 fliow, when there was no real ufe in them. All fuch ban- 

 dages he called theatric, only proper to be looked at. 



THEAUA, in Ancient Geography, a town of Spain, in 

 the interior of the Tairagonenfis. 



THEAVE, a term applied in fome diftrifts to an ewe 

 of the firft year. It is fometimes written thave, and alfo 

 thief in different diftrifts. 



THEBjE, or Thebes, in Ancient Geography, a confi- 

 derable, and in fome refpefts the principal, town of Boeotia, 

 fituated towards the middle of the country, near the river 

 Ifraene, S.E. of the lake Copais. This town owed its 

 origin to Cadmi!s ; but being confiderably augmented, the 

 part of the town which was feated upon an eminence, and 

 which was called Cadmasa from the name of its founder, 

 was regarded as a citadel in reference to the lower town. 

 Here was a fpring, which conveyed water to the city by 

 fubten-aneous channels. Amphion and Zethus, having taken 

 poffeffion of the country, joined the upper ana lower towns, 

 and called the place Thebes. According to Homer it liad 

 feven gates, the intervals being occupied by walls. It is 

 3 M • faid 



