Page:The Theatre of the Greeks, a Treatise on the History and Exhibition of the Greek Drama, with Various Supplements.djvu/324

 298 ON THE REPRESENTATION OF CERTAIN in the progress of the plot, manifestly does not leave the orchestra, its proper place. The allusions in the parodos to the pastoral em- ployments of the satyrs, who had left the service of Bacchus for that of the Cyclops, are probably connected with the mimic action introduced into their sicinms. It is clear, however, that living- sheep were introduced on the stage (vv. 188, 224), and certain supernumeraries, who acted as servants of the chorus and were perhaps also in part at least attired as satyrs, drive the cattle into the side-cavern or KKiaiov after the entrance of the chorus, for Silenus says to the satyrs (v. 82), cvy'r}jaT J t^kv, avrpa. 5' eh Trerprjpecprj TTolfivas a9po2<Tai Trpo(xir6oi.s KeXf.ija-aTe, and these mutes are dismissed from the stage with the order %«- peiTe. As only two or three of such attendants would be required for the purpose of driving the sheep, it is unnecessary to suppose with Schonborn that the same supernumeraries reappeared as the sailors of Ulysses. There would certainly not have been time for the complete change of costume required, during the four lines spoken by Silenus before he directly addresses the new-comers, who appear with KpcocraoL suspended from their necks immediately after the de- parture of the shepherds. The words of Ulysses (100), ^arvpwv TTjOo? o'lkol^ tovK o/jLiov €i(Topo), are quite intelligible on the suppo- sition that the chorus was in the orchestra near the front of the stage. And although he says in the plural eKc^epere (137, 162), it is clear that Silenus alone enters the cavern, for he promises in his own person (163: Spdaco toF, oXlyov (f)povTt(7a^ ye SeaTroroov), and claims the reward for himself (192). The Cyclops on entering from the right addresses the chorus, because Silenus has slunk away to the left with the Greek sailors. It is true that the chorus offers to take a part in the good work of blinding Polyphemus (471 : ^ovov >yap TovSe KOivwvelv OeXco), but it is clear that they do not leave the orchestra (635 : ^Jyu-et? p^ev icrp^ev puaKporepov irpo rSv Ovpwv ecrrcG- Te9); they excuse themselves with undisguised pusillanimity; and Ulysses is obliged to rely on his own companions (650 : rolai K olK€Lot<; (jb/Xot? 'y^prjaOai //.' dvdyKT]). When the deed is done, the chorus, at a safe distance, gives ludicrous misdirections to the blinded Cyclops, who knocks his head against the rock as he turns suddenly to the right at their bidding (v. 683) ^. 1 Nauck reads ovKin for ouk i^ii, in v. 564 ; but even without tliis alteration there is no necessity for supposing that one of the fSatyrs is on the stage.