Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/343

 UNIVERSAL ADMISSION. 321 receive it on the occasion of the festival. A poor man was thua furnished with the means of purchasing his place and going to the theatre without cost, on both days, if he chose ; or, if he preferred it, he might go on one day only ; or might even stay away alto- gether, and spend both the two oboli in any other manner. The higher price obtained for the better seats purchased by the richer citizens, is here to be set against the sum disbursed to the poorer ; but we have no data before us for striking the balance, nor can we tell how the finances of the state were affected by it. 1 Such was the original theorikon, or festival-pay, introduced by Perikles at Athens ; a system of distributing the public money, gradually extended to other festivals in which there was no the- atrical representation, and which in later times reached a mis- chievous excess ; having begun at a time when Athens was full of money from foreign tribute, and continuing, with increased demand at a subsequent time, when she was comparatively poor and without extraneous resources. It is to be remembered that all these festivals were portions of the ancient religion, and that, according to the feelings of that time, cheerful and multitudinous assemblages were essential to the satisfaction of the god in whose honor the festival was celebrated. Such disbursements were a portion of the religious, even more than of the civil establishment. Of the abusive excess which they afterwards reached, however, I shall speak in a future volume : at present, I deal with the theorikon only in its primitive function and effect, of enabling all Athenians indiscriminately to witness the representation of the tragedies. We cannot doubt that the effect of these compositions upon trie public sympathies, as well as upon the public judgment and intel- ligence, must have been beneficial and moralizing in a high de- gree. Though the subjects and persons are legendary, the rela- tions between them are all human and simple, exalted above the 1 for these particulars, see chiefly a learned and valuable compilation G. C. Schneider, Das Attische Theater- Wcsen, Weimar, 1835 furnished with copious notes ; though I do not fully concur in all his details, and have dit fercd from him on some points. I cannot think that more than two oboli were given to any one citizen at the same festival ; at least, not until tin distribution became extended, in times posterior to the Thirty; sec M Schneider's book, p. 1 / ; also Notes, 29-196. VOL. vni. 14* 21oc.