File:The life of the Greeks and Romans (1875) (14768529612).jpg

Identifier: lifeofgreeksroma00guhl (find matches)
Title: The life of the Greeks and Romans
Year: 1875 (1870s)
Authors: Guhl, E. (Ernst), 1819-1862 Koner, W. (Wilhelm), 1817-1887, joint author Hueffer, Francis, 1843-1889, tr
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Publisher: London, Chapman and Hall
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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redin our illustration. Besides the usual three doors, two aperturesin the wall of the paraskenion opened on to the stage, similarto those in the theatres of Herod and at Orange. Above eachof these two doors the walls of the proskenion contain two otheropenings, leading, most likely, to small balconies or boxes fordistinguished spectators. The building behind the wall of theskene is narrow, as at Orange. It had three stories, the middleone of which communicated by a door with the space which lay 432 THE AMPHITHEATRE—THEATRE OF CURIO. between the wall of the skene and the back scene, put in front ofit during the performance. 85. We now haye to mention a building unique as regardsmechanical appliances, and important for us in so far as itundoubtedly was the intermediate step to another class of edificesfor public amusement. We are speaking of the building erectedby C. Curio during his tribunate (b.c. 50) for an enormous sumof money, given to him by Csesar for the furthering of party -
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purposes. Both the stone theatre of Pompey (55 b.c.) and thewooden one of Scaurus were already in existence. A newcontrivance of astonishing boldness had to be invented, so asto excite the admiration of the multitude. Pliny (Hist. )STat.,XXXVL, 24, 8) gives the following description of the astonishingstructure. He (Curio) built two wooden theatres by the sideof each other, each of them kept its balance by means of movablepegs. In the forenoon comedies were performed on them, and thetwo theatres were turned away from each other, so that the noises AMPHITHEATRES OF ROME AND CAPUA. 433 on the two stages should not interfere with each other. Allof a sudden they were whirled round, so as to stand opposite eachother; in the evening the wooden partitions of the stages wereremoved, the ends of the sitting-steps (cornua) touched eachother, and an amphitheatre was thus created, in which Curio,after having endangered the lives of the people themselves,arranged battles of gladiators/ Pliny strong

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