Page:The Theatre of the Greeks, a Treatise on the History and Exhibition of the Greek Drama, with Various Supplements.djvu/317

 TEAGEDIES AND COMEDIES IN PARTICULAE. 291 by llglitning, which presage the death of QEdipus, must have been audible and visible to the spectators, and the fipovrelov and Kepav- vocTKoiTelov could not have been used with greater effect. The mirrors of the latter may have been so arranged as to throw a glare of light on the chorus (v. 1477). It is obvious that, with Qildipus leading the way, the two princesses, Theseus, and his attendants enter the sacred grove by the main doorway (v. 1555). Some little time is supposed to elapse before the messenger returns with his account of all that had happened (v. 1579). When his speech is ended, Theseus returns to the stage with the two princesses (v. 1670). And though Theseus promises (v. 1773) to comply with the request of Antigone to send her to Thebes, in order, if possible, to prevent the fratricidal strife of his two brothers, it does not follow that she and her sister leave the stage by the left-hand side-door, as though they departed immediately for their native city. It is more reason- able to suppose that they go with Theseus to Athens, and therefore make their exit in his company, by the middle door on the right. It has been already mentioned that the remaining plays of Sophocles furnish only one example of a complete change of scenery, and only one of a partial change by the revolution of the left-hand ])eriactos. The former case is that of the Ajax. In the first act of this play, the scene is laid in that part of the Grreek encampment, which lies between the tent of Ajax and the shore (v. 192 : e'^aXot? Kkialai^;). The interior of the tent of Ajax is displayed by means of the eccyclema, and he is seen surrounded by the cattle which he had slain in his delusion (vv. 346 sqq.). He is rolled off the stage by the same means, for he says (v. 579), hcofia Tra/crov, and (v. 581), nrvKa^e Oaaaov. After the stasimon of the chorus (596 — 645), Ajax comes forth from his tent, and then departs by the right-hand side-door as though he was going to the sea (v. 654: irpo^ re Xovrpa koX TrapaKTLov^ Xeifjbwva^). The messenger enters (v. 719) by the left-hand side-door as coming from the distant camp of the Greeks. Tecmessa goes forth to meet him with Eurysaces (v. 787) from the right-hand middle door, representing her own tent, and the child re-enters by the same door, when Tecmessa leaves the stage in pursuit of Ajax by the right-hand side-door. The messenger of course returns through the left side-door, and the chorus breaking 19—2