Page:The Theatre of the Greeks, a Treatise on the History and Exhibition of the Greek Drama, with Various Supplements.djvu/309

 TRAGEDIES AND COMEDIES IN PARTICULAR. 283 pcov, cf. V. 77), and has visited many nations as a purified suppliant (vv. 284 — 286). It has generally been supposed that the scene represents the temple of Minerva Polias at Athens^. But it is manifest that during the latter part of the act the scene is the Areopagus, and there is no indication of another change of scene. There must, however, have been a temple and statue of Minerva in the Areopagus. For Minerva is made to say to Orestes (v. 474) : iKeT7j<; iTpocrrfKOe^ Ka6apo<^ apKa^rj^; hofjuoL^, Apollo's injunction to the fugitive is (v. 80) : fioXwv Be IlaXXaSo? irorl tttoXcv l^ov TraXacbv ayKaOev a^o)v (Bpera^, and he is described by the goddess (v. 409) as fipera^ tov/jlov twS' ecfir^jxevcp ^ev(p. The most probable solution is that the poet supposes Orestes to have reached the temple of ^Adrjvd 'Apela, to whom he was said to have consecrated an altar in the Areopagus on his acquittal 2. The scene then represents the Areopagus, with a distant view of Athens, certainly with a statue, and probably with a temple of Minerva. As Orestes says (v. 256) rj/cco, statue of the goddess as soon as the scene is shifted, and the chorus re-enters by the left-hand parodos as soon as he has uttered his short prayer (v. 244). After the stasimon, preceded by a few ana- paests, as the chorus pass from the part of the orchestra immediately below the stage to the thymele (vv. 307 — 396), Minerva appears on the balcony of the stage, as though borne through the air on a chariot of clouds. This is shown by her own words (vv. 403 — 405) : rfKdov drpvTov voda TTTepCiv arep poi^dovaa koXttov alyidos kojXois CLKfj-alocs t6v5' iiri^ev^aa oxov. If she had come in an ordinary chariot it would have been needless to say that she came without wings, or that she used her segis to make a flapping as birds do with their wings (cf. Soph. Antig, 1004: Trrepoov yap pol/BBof; ovk darjfjbo^ rjv). She clearly means that she rode upon the wings of the wind. After the explanation with the chorus and Orestes, Minerva, who had descended to the stage, proceeds on foot by the right-hand door to summon the judges for the trial (v. 489). The stasimon follows (vv. 490—505). And then Minerva returns from the right with the twelve judges, who 1 This is the opinion of Droysen, Donner, Genelli, Miiller, Schomann and Her- mann. Geppert and Schonborn maintain the view adopted in the text. 2 Pausan. i. 28, § 5 : Koi (Sco/xos iariv 'Adfjuds 'Apeias 6u dvidrjKev dwocpvyui^ ttju
 * ' I am come," it is reasonable to conclude that he is seen near the