400 PELOPONNESUS. 
CHAP. Argos\ The discovery of a single marble chair, 
* ' either within or near to almost every one of the 
of 1 e creck celebrated theatres of Greece, is a circumstance 
Theatre. ^^ j^ nQ j. ] ;)een su ffi c i e ntly regarded by those 
who are desirous to illustrate the plan of these 
antient structures. We afterwards found a 
relic of this kind at Ch<eronea, near to the 
theatre ; whence it had only been moved to form 
part of the furniture of a Greek chapel : another 
has been already noticed in the description of 
Athens; and the instances which have been 
observed by preceding travellers it is unne- 
cessary now to enumerate. These chairs, as 
they have been called, have all the same form ; 
consisting each of one entire massive block of 
white marble, generally ornamented with fine 
sculpture. Owing to notions derived either 
from Roman theatres, or from the modern cus- 
toms of Europe, they have been considered as 
seats for the chief magistrates ; but even if this 
opinion be consistent with the fact of there 
being one Cathedra only in each theatre, it is 
contrary to the accounts given of the places 
assigned for persons of distinction in Grecian 
(1) SceTrav. in Greece, p. 226. Off. 1775. 
