DOI article:
Wheeler, James Rignall: The Theatre of Dionysus
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8560#0169
THE THEATRE OF DIONYSUS.
149
and the different parts of it seem all to have been erected at the
same time. Julias is without doubt right in rejecting Carl Curtius's
statement that walls of various ages have been uncovered on the
western side of the koIXov. Dyer, 'in his Ancient AtJiens, cites a
passage from the Thesmophoriazusae of Aristophanes (vs. 395), in
which the word 'Upia is used, to show that there must have been
wooden seats in the theatre at the date of this play, 411 B.C., and
that consequently the building then could not have been finished. But
the interpretation of the passage, and of the Scholia upon it, is very
doubtful; and it is even uncertain whether the poet had in mind
LKpia of the Dionysiac Theatre at all. The ruins of this part of the
theatre, in marked contrast to those of the scene-structure and or-
chestra, show no diversity of character, and we may confidently believe
that they are substantially the remains of the koIXov as it was in the
best days of the x\ttic drama. The line of marble chairs in the first
row, and the statues which were erected in different places among
the seats, are unquestionably of later date.
Before passing to the consideration of the marble chairs in the
theatre and the inscriptions upon them, mention must be made of
the bases found in several K-ep/aoes of the kolAov, which originally bore
statues erected in honor of Hadrian. Three of these bases, with a
fragment of a fourth, have been found in the four Ke/Woes marked
on the plan A., if., 1/., and 6/.* The one in Kep/as A. bears a
long Latin dedication addressed to Hadrian as Consul, with numerous
other titles ; and at the end of this is a brief inscription in Greek to
the Archon Hadrian.f Upon the other bases the inscription, which
is the same upon all three, except that a different tribe is recorded as
having erected each statue, addresses Hadrian as Emperor. J
If now we count the Kep/aSe?, beginning at Kep/ds 6 /., in which the
fragment of the base of the statue erected by the tribe Erechthe'is
* The central Kepxis is marked A on the plan ; and the others I ?'., 2 3 /-.,
etc. (on the right of a person facing the stage), and I /., 2 /., 3 /., etc. (on the
left). The bases are marked with the letters e, c, f, g, upon the plan.
f See C. I. A., III. 1, 464. For the Latin inscription, see Annali delV Insti-
tute), 1862, pp. 137 ff. The Greek inscription is as follows: 'H e| 'Apei'ou irdyou
fiovAv ical t) rcov e^aKoalwu Kal 6 5?)/xos 6 ''AOrjvalcov rliv dpxovTa kavTwv 'AbpLavdu.
J C.I. A., III. I. 466—469: AvTOKparopa Kalcrapa, Oeov Tpaiavov TlapOucov vtbv,
deou Nepovz vlwvov 'ASpLzvbv 2ei3a<TT^y, 1) e£ 'Apelov irdyov fiov\i~i ical ?; &ov\ri tSiv x
Kal b S~]/j.os iTi/j.eAov/j.ei'rjs rys OIvtj'iSos ('AKa/u-avriSos, 'Epex^Tji'Sos) (pvXijs.
149
and the different parts of it seem all to have been erected at the
same time. Julias is without doubt right in rejecting Carl Curtius's
statement that walls of various ages have been uncovered on the
western side of the koIXov. Dyer, 'in his Ancient AtJiens, cites a
passage from the Thesmophoriazusae of Aristophanes (vs. 395), in
which the word 'Upia is used, to show that there must have been
wooden seats in the theatre at the date of this play, 411 B.C., and
that consequently the building then could not have been finished. But
the interpretation of the passage, and of the Scholia upon it, is very
doubtful; and it is even uncertain whether the poet had in mind
LKpia of the Dionysiac Theatre at all. The ruins of this part of the
theatre, in marked contrast to those of the scene-structure and or-
chestra, show no diversity of character, and we may confidently believe
that they are substantially the remains of the koIXov as it was in the
best days of the x\ttic drama. The line of marble chairs in the first
row, and the statues which were erected in different places among
the seats, are unquestionably of later date.
Before passing to the consideration of the marble chairs in the
theatre and the inscriptions upon them, mention must be made of
the bases found in several K-ep/aoes of the kolAov, which originally bore
statues erected in honor of Hadrian. Three of these bases, with a
fragment of a fourth, have been found in the four Ke/Woes marked
on the plan A., if., 1/., and 6/.* The one in Kep/as A. bears a
long Latin dedication addressed to Hadrian as Consul, with numerous
other titles ; and at the end of this is a brief inscription in Greek to
the Archon Hadrian.f Upon the other bases the inscription, which
is the same upon all three, except that a different tribe is recorded as
having erected each statue, addresses Hadrian as Emperor. J
If now we count the Kep/aSe?, beginning at Kep/ds 6 /., in which the
fragment of the base of the statue erected by the tribe Erechthe'is
* The central Kepxis is marked A on the plan ; and the others I ?'., 2 3 /-.,
etc. (on the right of a person facing the stage), and I /., 2 /., 3 /., etc. (on the
left). The bases are marked with the letters e, c, f, g, upon the plan.
f See C. I. A., III. 1, 464. For the Latin inscription, see Annali delV Insti-
tute), 1862, pp. 137 ff. The Greek inscription is as follows: 'H e| 'Apei'ou irdyou
fiovAv ical t) rcov e^aKoalwu Kal 6 5?)/xos 6 ''AOrjvalcov rliv dpxovTa kavTwv 'AbpLavdu.
J C.I. A., III. I. 466—469: AvTOKparopa Kalcrapa, Oeov Tpaiavov TlapOucov vtbv,
deou Nepovz vlwvov 'ASpLzvbv 2ei3a<TT^y, 1) e£ 'Apelov irdyov fiov\i~i ical ?; &ov\ri tSiv x
Kal b S~]/j.os iTi/j.eAov/j.ei'rjs rys OIvtj'iSos ('AKa/u-avriSos, 'Epex^Tji'Sos) (pvXijs.