1On Rows of homely Turf they ſat to ſee,
Crown'd with the Wreaths of every common Tree.
Crown'd with the Wreaths of every common Tree.
DRYDEN'S Tranſlation.
HOWEVER, we read that Jolaus, the Son of
Iphiclus, firſt contrived Seats for the Spectators
in Sardinia, when he received the Theſpiad
from Hercules. But at firſt Theatres were
built only of Wood; and we find that Pompey
was blamed for having made the Seats fixed
and not moveable, as they uſed to be anciently:
But Diverſions of this Nature were afterwards
carried to ſuch a Height, that there were no
leſs than three vaſt Theatres within the City of
Rome, beſides ſeveral Amphitheatres, one of
which was ſo large that it would hold above
two hundred thouſand Perſons, beſides the Cir
cus Maximus: All which were built of ſquare
Stone and adorned with Columns of Marble.
Nay, not content with all theſe, they erected
Theatres, only for temporary Entertainments,
prodigiouſly enriched with Marble, Glaſs, and
great Numbers of Statues. The nobleſt Struc
ture in thoſe Days, and the moſt capacious,
which was at Placentia, a Town in Lombardy,
was burnt in the Time of Octavianus's War.
But we ſhall dwell no longer upon this ancient
Magnificence. Of publick Shows, ſome are
proper to Peace and Leiſure, others to War and
Buſineſs. Thoſe proper to Leiſure, belong to
the Poets, Muſicians and Actors: Thoſe pro
per to War, are Wreſtling, Boxing, Fencing,
Shooting, Running, and every Thing elſe re
lating to the Exerciſe of Arms. Plato ordained
that Shows of this laſt Nature ſhould be exhi
bited every Year, as highly tending to the
Welfare and Ornament of a City. Theſe Di
verſions required various Buildings, which there
fore have been called by various Names. Thoſe
deſigned for the Uſe of the Poets, Comick,
Tragick and the like, are called Theatres by
way of Excellence. The Place where the no
ble Youth exerciſed themſelves in driving Races
in Chariots with two or four Horſes, was called
the Circus. That laſtly, where wild Beaſt
were encloſed and baited, was called an Am
phitheatre. Almoſt all the Structures for theſe
different Sorts of Shows were built in Imitation
of the Figure of an Army drawn up in Order
of Battle, with its two Horns or Wings pro
tending forwards, and conſiſted of an Area
wherein the Actors, or Combatants, or Chari
ots are to exhibit the Spectacle, and of Rows
of Seats around for the Spectators to ſit on:
But then they differ as to the Form of the afore
ſaid Area; for thoſe which have this Area in
the Shape of a Moon in its Decreaſe are called
Theatres, but when the Horns are protracted
a great Way forwards, they are called Circuſſes,
becauſe in them the Chariots make a Circle
about the Goal. Some tell us, that the Anci
ents uſed to celebrate Games of this Kind in
Rings between Rivers and Swords (interenſes &
flumina) and that therefore they were called
Circenſes, and that the Inventor of theſe Di
verſions was one Monagus at Elis in Aſia. The
Area incloſed between the Fronts of two Thea
tres joined together was called Cavea, or the
Pit, and the whole Edifice an Amphitheatre.
The Situation of a Building for publick Shows
ought particularly to be choſen in a good Air,
that the Spectators may not be incommoded
either by Wind, Sun, or any of the other In
conveniences mentioned in the firſt Book, and
the Theatre ought in an eſpecial Manner to
be ſheltered from the Sun, becauſe it is in the
Month of Auguſt chiefly, as Horace obſerves,
that the People are fond of the Recitals of the
Poets, and the lighter Recreations: And if the
Rays of the Sun beat in, and were confined
within any Part of the Theatre, the exceſſive
Heat might be apt to throw the Spectators into
Diſtempers. The Place ought alſo to be pro
per for Sound, and it is very convenient to have
Porticoes, either adjoining to the Theatre, or
at an eaſy Diſtance from it, for People to ſhel
ter themſelves under from ſudden Rains and
Storms. Plato was for having the Theatre
within the City, and the Circus ſomewhere out
of it. The Parts of the ancient Theatres were
as follows: The Area or open Space in the
Middle, which was quite uncovered; about
this Area, the Rows of Seats for the Specta
tors, and oppoſite to them the raiſed Floor or
Stage for the Actors, and the Decorations pro
per to the Repreſentation, and at the Top of
all, Colonades and Arches to receive the Actor's
Voice, and make it more ſonorous. But the
Greek Theatres differed from thoſe of the Ro
mans in this Particular, that the Greeks brought
their Choruſes and Actors within the Area,
and by that Means had Occaſion for a ſmaller
Stage, whereas the Romans having the whole
Performance upon the Pulpitum, or Stage, be
yond the Semicircle of the Seats, were obliged
to make their Stage much larger. In this they
all agreed, that at firſt in marking out the Plat
form for the Theatre, they made uſe of a Se
micircle, only drawing out the Horns ſome
what farther than to be exactly ſemicircular,
Iphiclus, firſt contrived Seats for the Spectators
in Sardinia, when he received the Theſpiad
from Hercules. But at firſt Theatres were
built only of Wood; and we find that Pompey
was blamed for having made the Seats fixed
and not moveable, as they uſed to be anciently:
But Diverſions of this Nature were afterwards
carried to ſuch a Height, that there were no
leſs than three vaſt Theatres within the City of
Rome, beſides ſeveral Amphitheatres, one of
which was ſo large that it would hold above
two hundred thouſand Perſons, beſides the Cir
cus Maximus: All which were built of ſquare
Stone and adorned with Columns of Marble.
Nay, not content with all theſe, they erected
Theatres, only for temporary Entertainments,
prodigiouſly enriched with Marble, Glaſs, and
great Numbers of Statues. The nobleſt Struc
ture in thoſe Days, and the moſt capacious,
which was at Placentia, a Town in Lombardy,
was burnt in the Time of Octavianus's War.
But we ſhall dwell no longer upon this ancient
Magnificence. Of publick Shows, ſome are
proper to Peace and Leiſure, others to War and
Buſineſs. Thoſe proper to Leiſure, belong to
the Poets, Muſicians and Actors: Thoſe pro
per to War, are Wreſtling, Boxing, Fencing,
Shooting, Running, and every Thing elſe re
lating to the Exerciſe of Arms. Plato ordained
that Shows of this laſt Nature ſhould be exhi
bited every Year, as highly tending to the
Welfare and Ornament of a City. Theſe Di
verſions required various Buildings, which there
fore have been called by various Names. Thoſe
deſigned for the Uſe of the Poets, Comick,
Tragick and the like, are called Theatres by
way of Excellence. The Place where the no
ble Youth exerciſed themſelves in driving Races
in Chariots with two or four Horſes, was called
the Circus. That laſtly, where wild Beaſt
were encloſed and baited, was called an Am
phitheatre. Almoſt all the Structures for theſe
different Sorts of Shows were built in Imitation
of the Figure of an Army drawn up in Order
of Battle, with its two Horns or Wings pro
tending forwards, and conſiſted of an Area
wherein the Actors, or Combatants, or Chari
ots are to exhibit the Spectacle, and of Rows
of Seats around for the Spectators to ſit on:
But then they differ as to the Form of the afore
ſaid Area; for thoſe which have this Area in
the Shape of a Moon in its Decreaſe are called
Theatres, but when the Horns are protracted
a great Way forwards, they are called Circuſſes,
becauſe in them the Chariots make a Circle
about the Goal. Some tell us, that the Anci
ents uſed to celebrate Games of this Kind in
Rings between Rivers and Swords (interenſes &
flumina) and that therefore they were called
Circenſes, and that the Inventor of theſe Di
verſions was one Monagus at Elis in Aſia. The
Area incloſed between the Fronts of two Thea
tres joined together was called Cavea, or the
Pit, and the whole Edifice an Amphitheatre.
The Situation of a Building for publick Shows
ought particularly to be choſen in a good Air,
that the Spectators may not be incommoded
either by Wind, Sun, or any of the other In
conveniences mentioned in the firſt Book, and
the Theatre ought in an eſpecial Manner to
be ſheltered from the Sun, becauſe it is in the
Month of Auguſt chiefly, as Horace obſerves,
that the People are fond of the Recitals of the
Poets, and the lighter Recreations: And if the
Rays of the Sun beat in, and were confined
within any Part of the Theatre, the exceſſive
Heat might be apt to throw the Spectators into
Diſtempers. The Place ought alſo to be pro
per for Sound, and it is very convenient to have
Porticoes, either adjoining to the Theatre, or
at an eaſy Diſtance from it, for People to ſhel
ter themſelves under from ſudden Rains and
Storms. Plato was for having the Theatre
within the City, and the Circus ſomewhere out
of it. The Parts of the ancient Theatres were
as follows: The Area or open Space in the
Middle, which was quite uncovered; about
this Area, the Rows of Seats for the Specta
tors, and oppoſite to them the raiſed Floor or
Stage for the Actors, and the Decorations pro
per to the Repreſentation, and at the Top of
all, Colonades and Arches to receive the Actor's
Voice, and make it more ſonorous. But the
Greek Theatres differed from thoſe of the Ro
mans in this Particular, that the Greeks brought
their Choruſes and Actors within the Area,
and by that Means had Occaſion for a ſmaller
Stage, whereas the Romans having the whole
Performance upon the Pulpitum, or Stage, be
yond the Semicircle of the Seats, were obliged
to make their Stage much larger. In this they
all agreed, that at firſt in marking out the Plat
form for the Theatre, they made uſe of a Se
micircle, only drawing out the Horns ſome
what farther than to be exactly ſemicircular,
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