186 THE FINE ARTS. 
ing ; again, because they were necessarily a good deal larger, the theatre in 
ancient times being a popular recreation furnished by the state, and the 
number of visitors consequently very large; and lastly, because the ancient 
spectacle and tragedy was very different, and much more simple than 
ours. 
The form of the Greek theatres was mostly a semicircle, and they con- 
sisted of three parts, the scena, the orchestra, and the theatrum proper. 
The scena was usually raised eleven or twelve feet above the ground, and 
had walls at the sides and back, which served to support the decorations. 
In front of the scena was the stage (prosceniwm), a large rectangular 
space on which the performances took place; and the front part of the 
stage had a small projection (Jogezon), from which the actors addressed the 
chorus stationed in the orchestra or delivered their monologues. On both 
sides of the stage were rooms for the actors ( parascenia), and the front 
part of the stage was adorned with statues which were different for different 
performances. The proscenium was connected with the orchestra by two 
flights of steps; one on the right for apparitions and personages coming from 
the lower world, and one on the left for those coming from the sea. The 
decorations on the walls of the scena had three doors, the middle, royal, or 
principal door, and the two side doors; persons from abroad came through 
that to the right, and those from the city through that to the left. Besides 
these there were other entrances from the parascenia. The place of our side- 
scenes or wings was supplied by the percactoi, three-sided scaffoldings, 
which revolved on their axes, and had different decorations on each side, 
one of which stood always parallel to the rows of spectators or to the 
orchestra. Against the rear wall of the scena were placed huge cloths 
or flats, which were pushed together when the scene was changed. The 
part of the scena behind the doors usually represented the interior of a 
house, and was decorated by means of revolving scenes. The scenery was 
shifted only between the acts, when the curtain, which during the perfor- 
mance was let down and lay behind the orchestra, had been drawn up again. 
The theatrical machinery consisted of machines for imitating thunder and 
lightning, and others for aiding the ascent and descent of the gods, and for 
representing them hovering in the air. The orchestra was the space between 
the scena and the theatrum, of a circular form, and situated somewhat 
lower than the scena. Here the chorus was stationed, and in the centre 
was a decorative part (tiymelewa), which represented either an altar, a 
tomb, or arostrum, according as one or the other was required. The two 
entrances into the orchestra stood open. The theatrvum, or part assigned to 
the spectators, consisted of the rows of seats rising one above another in the 
form of an amphitheatre. The magistrates sat in the first or lowest rows ; 
and then followed several flights or tiers, divided by broad passages or 
lobbies (diazoma), consisting the first of eleven, the second of twelve, and 
the third also of twelve rows of seats. Flights of steps, which ran from top 
to bottom through all the rows of seats, formed a connexion between them, 
and made each row accessible in from eight to twelve places. 
In Rome, Marcus A¢milius Lepidus was the first to cause the erection 
570 
