Page:The Theatre of the Greeks, a Treatise on the History and Exhibition of the Greek Drama, with Various Supplements.djvu/256

 234 ON THE EEPRESENTATION OF structure, sometimes, however, resting on supports of masonry. In several of the ancient theatres, especially in that at Aspenclus, we still see flights of steps leading from the stage-doors to the level of the orchestra; and this alone is sufficient to indicate the fact that the Xoyeoov was taken down, whenever, as was frequently the case, the theatre was required for public meetings or other purposes not strictly theatricals In its original meaning the word irpoo-Krjviov was no doubt synonymous with Xoyelov, for it signified that which was before the scene, and it is used in this sense by Yirgil and other writers^. It is equally clear, however, that the word was used improperly to denote the scene itself, or rather the face of the scene, which was turned towards the spectators^; and with a stricter reference to the form of the word, it denoted the curtain or hanging before the scene ^. There are two other derivatives from a/crjvri, which have occa- sioned no little difficulty and misconception. These are TrapaaKi]- VLov and v7roaKr)VLov. In the singular number, irapacrKriviov denotes what was sung by a member of the chorus instead of a fourth actor ^. But in the plural, iTapa(JicY]via undoubtedly means the lateral projections of the scene, by the sides of the hp6fjLo<; with the apartments which they contained, and the doors or openings by which the chorus entered the orchestra. Modern writers on the subject, with the exception ^ Schbnborn, p. 29. 2 Virg. Georg. ii. 382 : veteres ineunt proscenia ludi. Where Servius says : x>'^'(^' scenia:.. sunt pulpit a ante scenam, in quibus ludicra eooercentur. Plut. Moral, p. 1096 b: XO.kovv 'AX^^avdpov ip U^Wy ^ovXbjxevov iroiTja-aL to -irpo(TKr]viov ovk etaaev 6 Texvirrjs <hs diacpdepovv tQu VTroKpirQv rrjv (pwvqv. Polybius (?) apud Suid. s. v. : ri tvxv irapeK- KOfxiur) TT]u TrpocpaaLU Kadairep eirl TrpocTK-qviov, Trapeyvpivuae rds dXrjdecs iiripoias. 3 The irpocrKrjVLov and oye7ov are mentioned separately in the inscriptions at Patara (Bockh, C. I. No. 4283, Vol. III. p. 151): KaSi^pcjjaev to re irpoaKriviov, 6 KaTecrKevaaeu iK dejxeKiwv b Trarrjp avTrii...Kal ttju tov Xoyeiov KaTaaKevrjv Kol irXaKwaiv a eirotrjcreu avTT) (where irXaKwais means "pargetting" or "rough-casting"). And the gram- marian published by Cramer {Anecd. Paris. I. p. 19) must have meant the scene itself when he attributed to ^schylus the xpoaKTjvia /cat diaTeylas. Hence Vitruvius (v. 6) speaks of the proscenii 2'>ulpitiini, and Suetonius {Nero, cc. 12, 26) of the proscenii fastigium 2.ndi pars proscenii superior. 4 Suidas s. v. : t6 irpb t^s (TK'qvri's irapaireTacrfxa. Duris, ap. Athen. Xll. p. 536 A :- iypd(p€TO iirl tov irpoaK7]vlov eirl ttjs olKovfxeurjS oxov/nevos. Id. XIII. p. 587, et Harpo- crat. s. V. 'Ndvviov. irpoffKjjvLOv iKaXeiTO i] Nctwioi', 6'rt irpbcronrbv re dcrTeiov elx^ nal iXpvTO XP^^^'-^'-^ '^"■^ l/m-aTLOLS iroXvTiXeai, eKdvaa 5^ ■^u alaxpoTdT-q. Cf. Synesius, p. 128 C. 5 Pollux, IV, § 109 : birbTe fxeu dvrl TCTdpTOV vwoKpLTov bioi. Tivd tCov xopevrwj' direiv h ipSy, TrapaaKTjviov /caXetrai t6 irpdyfxa, ws iu 'Aya/xefxuovi Aiax^Xov.