Page:The Theatre of the Greeks, a Treatise on the History and Exhibition of the Greek Drama, with Various Supplements.djvu/266

 244 ON THE REPRESENTATION OF But, independently of any peculiarities of a literaiy nature, the great size of the theatre^, and the religious character of the festival, gave occasion for some very remarkable differences between the outward appearance and costume of the ancient actors, and those who sustain parts in the performances of the modern drama. These diiferences consisted mainly in the two following particulars : [a) the tragic actor was always raised on soles of enormous thickness, which gave additional height to his person, while his body and limbs were also stuffed and padded to a corresponding size, and his head was surmounted by a colossal mask suited to the character which he bore; and ih) every performer, whatever his character might be, was uniformly arrayed in the gay and gaudy attire of the Dionysian festival. We will consider these peculiarities sepa- rately, because they spring from distinct causes; for the thick soles and the mask were due to the size of the theatre, and the festal dress to the religious nature of the solemnities. With regard to both of these peculiarities we have abundant authorities in ancient works of art. Masks of every description are repeated in pictures and sculptures, and figures arrayed in the theatrical dress are to be met with everywhere. We have also representations of complete scenes from the different kinds of dramas, especially, however, from Comedies ; and, by great good fortune, we have rescued from the ruins of time, in all the brightness of the original colouring, not only a series of tw^enty-two pairs of figures repre- senting performers in Tragedies, followed by a similar pair from a Satyric Drama, but also the three actors accompanied by the chorus. The former are given in a number of hexagonal Mosaics, which were found at Lorium in Etruria, where Anto- ninus Pius was brought up and where he died, and which are now let into the modern Mosaic pavement of an octagonal room of the Pio-Clementine Museum at Rome called the Saloon of the Muses ^. The latter representation was discovered in a grotto, on one side of the Necropolis of Cyrene, the four walls of w^hich are covered with well-preserved paintings representing the dramatic and other entertainments, which the deceased had exhibited in his 1 See Dr Wordsworth's remarks, Athens and Attica, p. 92. 2 This mosaic is fully described by Millin, Descnption (Tune Mosaique Antique du Musie Pio-Clementine a Rome represeidant des Scenes de Tragedies, Paris, 1829. See also Mtiller, Gott. Gell. Anz. 1831, pp. 1234 sqq. ; Wieseler, Theatergeb. pp. 48 sqq. Some specimens of tlie figures are given in the accompanying plate (3).