Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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the Amphitheatre is formed of two Theatres
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with their Horns joined together, and the
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Rows of Seats continued quite round; and
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the chief Difference between them is, that a
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Theatre is properly an half Amphitheatre,
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with this further Variation too, that the Am
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phitheatre has its middle Area quite clear from
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any Thing of a Stage or Scenes; but in all
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other reſpects, and particularly in the Seats,
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Porticoes, Entrances and the like, they exactly
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agree. </
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<
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>I am inclined to believe, that the Am
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phitheatre was at firſt contrived chiefly for
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Hunting, and that for this Reaſon it was made
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round, to the Intent that the wild Beaſts
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which were encloſed and baited in it, not
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having any Nook or Corner to fly to, might
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be the ſooner obliged to defend themſelves
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againſt their Aſſailants, who were extremely
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bold and dextrous at engaging with the fier
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ceſt wild Beaſts. </
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<
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>Some armed only with a
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Javelin, would with the Help of that leap
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over a wild Bull that was making at him full
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Speed, and ſo elude his Blow. </
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<
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>Others having
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put on a Kind of Armour, compoſed of no
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thing but thick Thorns and Prickles, would
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ſuffer themſelves to be rowled about and
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mumbled by a Bear. </
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<
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>Others encloſed in a
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Kind of wooden Cage, teazed and provoked a
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Lion, and fome with nothing but a Cloak
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about their left Arm, and a ſmall Ax or Mal
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let in their right Hand would attack him
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openly. </
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<
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>In a Word, if any Man had either
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Dexterity to deceive, or Courage and Strength
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to cope with wild Beaſts, he offered himſelf as
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a Champion, either merely for the Sake of Ho
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nour, or for Reward. </
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<
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>We read too, that both
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in the Theatres and Amphitheatres, the great
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Men uſed to throw Apples, or let fly little Birds
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among the Mob, for the Pleaſure of ſeeing
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them ſcramble for them. </
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<
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>The middle Area
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of the Amphitheatre, though it is ſurrounded
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by two Theatres joined together, yet muſt not
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be made ſolong as two compleat Theatres would
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make it, if their Horns both pretended to meet
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each other: But its Length muſt bear a cer
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tain Proportion to its Breadth. </
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<
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>Some among
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the Ancients made the Length eight, and the
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Breadth ſeven Parts, and ſome made the
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Breadth three fourths of the Length. </
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<
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>In other
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Particulars it agrees with the Theatre: It muſt
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have Porticoes on the Outſide, and one at the
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Top within, over the higheſt Seat, which we
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have called the Circumvallation. </
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<
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>We are next
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to treat of the Circus. </
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<
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>Some tell us, that this
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was built in Imitation of the heavenly Bodies;
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for as the Heavens have twelve Houſes, ſo the
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Circus has twelve Gates for Entrance; and as
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there are ſeven Planets, ſo this has ſeven Goals,
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lying from Eaſt to Weſt at a good Diſtance one
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from the other, that through them the con
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tending Chariots may hold their Courſe, as the
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Sun and Moon do through the Zodiac; which
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they did four-and-twenty Times, in Imitati
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on of the four-and-twenty Hours. </
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>
<
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>The Con
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currents were alſo divided into four Squadrons,
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each of which was diſtinguiſhed by its particu
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lar Colour; the one was cloathed in Green, in
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Repreſentation of the verdant Spring; another
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to denote the flaming Summer in Red; the
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third in White, in Imitation of the pale Au
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tumn; and the fourth in dusky Brown for the
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gloomy Winter. </
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<
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>The middle Area of the Cir
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cus was neither clear nor open like the Am
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phitheatre, nor taken up with a Stage like the
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Theatre, but it was divided Lengthways into
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two Courſes by the Goals or Terms which
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were ſet up at proper Diſtances, about which
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the Horſes or Men performed their Races. </
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<
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>Of
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theſe Goals there were three principal ones,
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whereof the Middlemoſt was the chief of all,
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and this was a Pile of Stone tapering up to the
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Top, upon account of which regular Diminu
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tion, it was called an Obelisk. </
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<
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>The other two
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principal Goals were either coloſſal Statues, or
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lofty Piles of Stones in the Nature of Trophies,
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deſigned aſter the Workman's Fancy, ſo as
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they were only great and beautiſul. </
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<
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>Between
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theſe principal Goals were two others on each
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Side, either Columns or Obelisks leſs than the
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former, which made up the Number of Seven.
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</
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<
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>We read in Hiſtorians, that the Circus Maxi
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mus at
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Rome
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was three Furlongs in Length,
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and one in Breadth. </
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<
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>Now indeed it is entire
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ly deſtroyed, and there are not the leaſt Foot
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ſteps remaining by which we can form a Judg
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ment of its ancient Structure: But by an actual
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Survey of other Works of this Nature I find the
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Manner of them was as follows: The Anci
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ents uſed to make the middle Area of the Cir
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cus in Breadth at leaſt threeſcore Cubits, or
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ninety Foot, and in Length ſeven Times that
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Breadth. </
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<
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>The Breadth was divided into two
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equal Parts or Courſes by a Line drawn the
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Length of the Circus, on which Line the Goals
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or Terms were placed according to the follow
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ing Method: The whole Length being divided
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into ſeven Parts, one of thoſe Parts was given
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to a Sweep at each End for the Concurrents to
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turn out of the right Courſe into the left, and
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the Remainder was allowed for the Goals, which
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