HIERON. 419 
passages leading to the outer porticoes, by CHAP. 
which the spectators entered to take their 
places 2 . He seems to have founded this notion 
upon the plan of a Roman theatre, the view of 
which he has given in his work 3 . We do not 
remember ever to have seen in Grecian theatres 
any such retreats or entrances, near to the little 
stairs for crossing the benches : the entrances 
to a Greek theatre were either vaulted passages 
at the sides, near to what we should call the 
stage-boxes, or in the exterior front of the Scene, 
behind the stage itself 4 . Many authors speak 
of those porticoes, as being erected behind the 
Cavea; which, as applied to the theatres of Greece, 
is ridiculous 5 ; for what can be more absurd 
than to tell of buildings behind seats which 
were either integral parts of a mountain, or 
were adapted to its solid surface. The por- 
ticoes to which the audience retired for shelter, 
in rainy weather, must have had a different 
(2) See Chap. IV. p. 529, of this Volume. 
(3) See Plate facing p. 1, from a design by Guillet; engraved by 
Gobille, " Athenes ancienne et moderne." Paris, 1675. 
(4) See a View of the Theatre at Telmessus, in Chap. VIII. Vol. II. 
of the Quarto Edition of these Travels, facing p. 236. Broxbourne. 
Second Edit. 
(5) See Potter's A rchaeolog. Grcec. vol.1, p. 42. I^ond. 1761. Hat- 
wood's Graec. Antiq. p. 18. Land. 1801, &c. &c. 
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