Full text: Vitruvius: The civil architecture of Vitruvius

few who composed the chorus of the ancient drama, could 
not have required a space so extensive as the orchestra of 
the Grecian theatre. It may be remarked likewise that, by 
admitting the existence of a stage in front of the scene, 
virtually increasing the extent of the proscenium, we should 
identify the ancient thymele with the Roman pulpitum. 
On the other hand it ought to be observed, that the 
words ga and g, which Pollux uses to describe the nature 
of the thymele, seem to indicate that it was of no great 
magnitude. He proceeds to state that it was anciently the 
custom to place an altar in front of the scene, upon which 
the coryphaeus was stationed to direct the movements of 
the chorus: from which it might be inferred that the 
thymele was nothing more than the altar of an earlier age. 
A part of the theatre mentioned by Pollux is altogether 
unnoticed by Vitruvius; that is the hyposcenium; which 
appears from his account to have been the ornamented front 
of the proscenium facing the orchestra; and probably was 
not seen but during the exhibitions of the orchestra, when 
the pulpitum and all the occasional scenery were removed. 
He states it to be below the pulpitum, and adorned with 
pedestals and small statues. The proscenium of the Greek 
theatre appears from Vitruvius to have been from ten to 
twelve feet above the level of the orchestra. It would 
therefore be necessary to give to the front of it some 
character in order to unite it with the scene itself, at those 
times when the latter was exposed to the view of the 
audience. This might be effected in the manner described 
by Pollux. It is necessary to observe that the literal
	        
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