DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4266#0123
88 ON THE FORM, ARRANGEMENT, AND
dred and eighty degrees ; when it did, the excess is formed by two right lines drawn from the extre-
mities of the semicircle perpendicular to its diameter: the Greeks appear to have used generally a
larger portion, terminated by radiating sides. Although the ruined state of the extremities of the
coilon in the theatre of the Grove of JEsculapius, near Epidaurus, prevented the possibility of ascer-
taining the utmost limit of the sweep of the circles, yet the portion that remains exceeds the semi-
circle a; and the theatre of Syracuse, the limits of which are defined, contains an arc of about two
hundred degrees. Those of Asia Minor generally exceed one hundred and eighty degrees, except
that at Pricne, the sides of which are enclosed between two parallel walls, and by a circular wall at
the end.
The extremities of the seats were bounded by a wall following the descent of the seats, and
surmounted by a coping as Fig. 3. of Plate II., which rose high enough to protect the spectators who
might be descending the staircases nearest the extremity, and yet not so much elevated as to prevent
the audience who were seated on the excess beyond the semicircle from looking over it in order to
see the performances on the logeion.
The KclXov was composed of a succession of seats b, e'^ga/, fiuOga,, Saxoi, ilu'hu,, divided into two
or three flights by diu.tyfjMra. or pra:cinctiones c, which were species of landings that separated the
flights appropriated to the different orders of citizens, according to their ranks. The number of
seats in each flight varied according to the size of the theatre, and were again subdivided into Kignifas
wedgelike masses (cunei) by perpendicular radiating stairs, called xXifActxts, which led from one land-
ing to another, and subtended the points of the circumference of the circle of the diagram where in-
tersected by the angles of the squares. Nature herself seems to have particularly seconded the vio-
lence of man in the destruction of the theatres of Greece. The herbs and shrubs from the neglect of
many ages have overgrown the surface, undermined the seats, and by their expansion caused those
immense blocks to roll down, fill up the area of the orchestra to the height of many feet, and con-
ceal even several of the lower rows of seats. This circumstance not only prevents the traveller
(without extensive excavation) from ascertaining the height of the podium, but also precludes him
from discovering whether there were a diazoma below the lowest seat. The cunei for greater con-
venience had particular marks, numbers, or names to distinguish them : the podium of the diazoma
of the theatre at Syracuse has an inscription cut on the fascia of the cornice to each cuneus.
The staircases that divided the cunei always ran in a direct line tending to the centre of the
circle, and the upper mass of seats, from the greater extension of the outer circles in large theatres,
had intermediate d additional staircases to afford a facility of communication equal to that enjoyed by
the spectators on the lower rows of seats.
Vitruvius requires that the seats and pra'cinctiones should be so arranged that a cord drawn
from the lowest to the highest step should touch the nosing of each seat, by which means, he says,
the voice will proceed uninterruptedly to the uppermost part. But the examples remaining to us of
the ancient theatres all vary from this rule. The lowest seats were the best, consequently the most
honorable, and appropriated to the judges, and therefore called by Pherecratesc, the inventor of comedy,
Xfuropa&gorf; and this part, occupied by the archons, magistrates, and agonothetes, or judges of the
• " In the Asiatic Theatres the excess was formed by pro- c Also cardines baltcorum according to Tertull. de Spectacu-
longing the same curve at either extremity of the semicircle, un- lis, c. 3. " Vias vocant cardines baltcorum per ambitum."
til the xoTAoi* occupied from 200 to 225 degrees of a circle; d As in the theatres of Laodicca (vide Ion. Antiq.) of iEscu-
whereas at Tauromenium, Sicyon, Epidaurus, and in the theatre lapius. In the Roman theatres the staircases went not direct
near Joannina the excess above the semicircle is formed by two from the lower to the upper seats, but were alternately placed
straight lines drawn from the extremities of the semicircle per- tending to the centre of the cuneus below, as often as there was
pendicular to its diameter and to the direction of the scene." a praecinctio.
Leake's Tour, p. 322. e Onomasticon. Thus reads Falckenbergius, and not Epicra-
" Theatre of the Greeks, containing Information relative to tes, in which he is supported by the Scholiast of Pollux,
the Rise, Progress, and Exhibition of the Drama, &c. Cam- f And v^u-n^ot according to Genelli, ut supra, p. 38.
bridge, 8vo 1825," p. 35.
dred and eighty degrees ; when it did, the excess is formed by two right lines drawn from the extre-
mities of the semicircle perpendicular to its diameter: the Greeks appear to have used generally a
larger portion, terminated by radiating sides. Although the ruined state of the extremities of the
coilon in the theatre of the Grove of JEsculapius, near Epidaurus, prevented the possibility of ascer-
taining the utmost limit of the sweep of the circles, yet the portion that remains exceeds the semi-
circle a; and the theatre of Syracuse, the limits of which are defined, contains an arc of about two
hundred degrees. Those of Asia Minor generally exceed one hundred and eighty degrees, except
that at Pricne, the sides of which are enclosed between two parallel walls, and by a circular wall at
the end.
The extremities of the seats were bounded by a wall following the descent of the seats, and
surmounted by a coping as Fig. 3. of Plate II., which rose high enough to protect the spectators who
might be descending the staircases nearest the extremity, and yet not so much elevated as to prevent
the audience who were seated on the excess beyond the semicircle from looking over it in order to
see the performances on the logeion.
The KclXov was composed of a succession of seats b, e'^ga/, fiuOga,, Saxoi, ilu'hu,, divided into two
or three flights by diu.tyfjMra. or pra:cinctiones c, which were species of landings that separated the
flights appropriated to the different orders of citizens, according to their ranks. The number of
seats in each flight varied according to the size of the theatre, and were again subdivided into Kignifas
wedgelike masses (cunei) by perpendicular radiating stairs, called xXifActxts, which led from one land-
ing to another, and subtended the points of the circumference of the circle of the diagram where in-
tersected by the angles of the squares. Nature herself seems to have particularly seconded the vio-
lence of man in the destruction of the theatres of Greece. The herbs and shrubs from the neglect of
many ages have overgrown the surface, undermined the seats, and by their expansion caused those
immense blocks to roll down, fill up the area of the orchestra to the height of many feet, and con-
ceal even several of the lower rows of seats. This circumstance not only prevents the traveller
(without extensive excavation) from ascertaining the height of the podium, but also precludes him
from discovering whether there were a diazoma below the lowest seat. The cunei for greater con-
venience had particular marks, numbers, or names to distinguish them : the podium of the diazoma
of the theatre at Syracuse has an inscription cut on the fascia of the cornice to each cuneus.
The staircases that divided the cunei always ran in a direct line tending to the centre of the
circle, and the upper mass of seats, from the greater extension of the outer circles in large theatres,
had intermediate d additional staircases to afford a facility of communication equal to that enjoyed by
the spectators on the lower rows of seats.
Vitruvius requires that the seats and pra'cinctiones should be so arranged that a cord drawn
from the lowest to the highest step should touch the nosing of each seat, by which means, he says,
the voice will proceed uninterruptedly to the uppermost part. But the examples remaining to us of
the ancient theatres all vary from this rule. The lowest seats were the best, consequently the most
honorable, and appropriated to the judges, and therefore called by Pherecratesc, the inventor of comedy,
Xfuropa&gorf; and this part, occupied by the archons, magistrates, and agonothetes, or judges of the
• " In the Asiatic Theatres the excess was formed by pro- c Also cardines baltcorum according to Tertull. de Spectacu-
longing the same curve at either extremity of the semicircle, un- lis, c. 3. " Vias vocant cardines baltcorum per ambitum."
til the xoTAoi* occupied from 200 to 225 degrees of a circle; d As in the theatres of Laodicca (vide Ion. Antiq.) of iEscu-
whereas at Tauromenium, Sicyon, Epidaurus, and in the theatre lapius. In the Roman theatres the staircases went not direct
near Joannina the excess above the semicircle is formed by two from the lower to the upper seats, but were alternately placed
straight lines drawn from the extremities of the semicircle per- tending to the centre of the cuneus below, as often as there was
pendicular to its diameter and to the direction of the scene." a praecinctio.
Leake's Tour, p. 322. e Onomasticon. Thus reads Falckenbergius, and not Epicra-
" Theatre of the Greeks, containing Information relative to tes, in which he is supported by the Scholiast of Pollux,
the Rise, Progress, and Exhibition of the Drama, &c. Cam- f And v^u-n^ot according to Genelli, ut supra, p. 38.
bridge, 8vo 1825," p. 35.