132 



E. J. SEWELL, ESQ.^ OX POMPEII. 



ill Eome had as its author Liviiis Anclroiiicus, a Greek of 

 Tarentum, and that the next dramatist in Eome, GncTus 

 Xsevius, was also from Campania, the province of which 

 Pompeii formed part. Fm^ther, we know that there were farces 

 (fabulie atellanae) acted at Eome, the scene of which was always 

 laid at Atella (whence their name), the Gotham of Campania. 

 Though these farces were acted at Eome, thev were always 

 acted in the Oscan language. It is not, therefore, surprisini? 

 that the theatre in Pompeii can be dated back to the second 

 century B.C., when Pompeii was an Oscan town. 



The theatre was open to the air but its southern aspect and 

 the hot l3rilliant sunshine rendered an awning necessary oyer 

 the seats of the spectators. The sockets for fixing the great 

 masts which held up this awning are still to be seen. 



There is also just outside the theatre a deep reservoir for 

 water, which was used for sprinkling over the theatre to cool 

 the heated building. These sprinklings were called " sparsiones" ; 

 and there are still to be seen painted on the walls advertisements 

 of performances in which it is mentioned as an attraction that 

 there would be awnings and water sprinklings (sparsiones, vela 

 erunt). 



The theatre in Eoman as in Greek cities was by no means 

 reserved for dramatic performances only. It was used for 

 public gatherings of the most varied character. "We shall at 

 once recall the riot got up by the silversmiths of Ephesus when 

 they " rushed with one accord into the theatre " (Acts xix, 

 29 ff.) and all the proceedings that followed in that building. 

 The smaller theatre only held some 1,500 people. It was 

 permanently covered in, and was probably used for musical 

 entertainments. 



I pass on to the gladiatorial displays. These were lield in the 

 amphitheatre in the south-east corner of the city. Their extreme 

 popularity with the dwellers in Pompeii is clearly indicated by 

 the number of notices havins; to do with the okdiatorial irames 

 which we see painted in red on walls along the sides of the 

 streets, or even on tombs standing by the roadside, and also by 

 the almost countless "graffiti" both in private houses and public 

 places having reference to combats and to favourite gladiators. 



These inscriptions bring so near to us the scenes and 

 excitements of those days that it seems worth while to o-ive 

 several of them. 



On a tombstone near the Xucerian gate is the following 

 notice painted in red letters : Glad[iatoruni] par[ia] xx Q. 

 Monni Eufi pug[nabunt] Xola K[alendis] Mais, vi. v. Xonas 



