THE'ATRE, in architecture, a build ing appropriated to time representation of dramatic spectacles. The theatres of the Greeks and Romans display seine of tho most extraordinary specimens of their power its the Arts. Bacchus has the rep utation of being the inventor of there, which, after their temples, appear to have been the most important public edifices of these people. They seem to have been curried to perfection its the Grecian colo nies at an earlier period than they were in the mother country. The first theatre of stone at Athens. called the theatre of Bacchus, was built in the time of The mi.stoeles ; and as there seems little doubt that tile Athenians were the inventors of the drama as a regular scenic action, it is fair to presume that they were [he first to regulate the form air' proportions which necessity and ple...sure dictated in their arrangement. subjoined dia gram shows the form of the Greek theatre, differed but little from that of sic Romans ; and the instruc tions given 07 Vitruvius in the eighth "1-aptcr Pis fifth book, as to the gene , P of the plan, are as follows : et.s M the Latin theatre the points of the four triangles touch the eirentnfer ence, in the theatres of the Greeks the angles of three squares are substituted ; and the side of that square which is nearest to the place of the scene, at the points where it touches the circumference of the circle, is the boundary of the pro seeniutn. A line drawn parallel to this, at the extremity of the circle, will give the front of the scene. Through the cen tre of the orchestra, opposite to the pro scenium, another parallel line is drawn touching the circumference on the right and left ; then, one foot of the compasses being fixed on the right-hand point, with a radius equal to the distance from the left point, describe a circle on the right hand side of the proscenium, and, placing the foot of the compasses on the left-hand point, with the distance of the right-hand interval describe another circle on the left side of the proscenium. Thus de scribing it from three centres, the Greeks have a larger orchestra, and their scene is further recessed. The pulpitum, which they call is less in width; wherefore among them the tragic and comic per formers act upon the scene, the rest going through their parts in the orchestra." The ancient theatres were frequently used for the deliberations of the general assembly of the people on political !nat ters, as we find from Tacitus and Auso nins in respect of the theatres at Antioch and Athens. Notwithstanding the use of
those buildings in later times as quarries freely used by the inhabitants of the cities in which they stood, there are still considerable ruins at Ephesus, Alabanda, Teos, Smyrna, Hieropolis, Cyziens, Alin da, Magnesia, Laodicea, Mytassa, Sardis, Miletus, Stratonicea, Telmessus, Jesus, and Patera, all in Asia Minor ; in Sicily, at Catana, Taurominium, Syracuse, Ar and Segesta. In Greece, ruins are still extant at Athens, Sparta, in the island of Egina, at Epidaurus, and Me galopolis. According to Pausanias, that at Epidaurus, built by Polycletus, sur passed all the other theatres of Greece in its beauty and proportions ; but in gran deur and magnificence the Roman thea tres far surpassed those of the Greeks ; nor is this surprising-, considering the pop ulation the former had to accommodate compared with that of the latter. For a very considerable period the theatres of Rome, like those of the Etruscans, were of wood; and Pompey, on his return from the war against Mithridates, was the first who constructed one of stone. This must have been of large dimensions, inasmuch as it would contain 40,000 spectators. The remains of it as some stables of a palace are still visible. There were two other considerable theatres in Home; the first built in the year 741 of the city, by Cornelius Balbus ; and the second which was begun by Julius Cwsar, but not finished till the time of Augustus, who dedicated it to his friend Marcellus. From the remains it appears that it was a specimen of great beauty and purity, as far as relates to the profiles of two of its orders, there being no vestiges of the upper order. The only other remains of Roman theatres are at Saguntum and Oranges, though the Romans usually erected theatres in their newly conquered cities, or at least embellished and im proved those they found on the spot. The modern theatres of Rome are, perhaps, the worst in Europe. Italy, however, boasts some beautiful examples; the principal whereof are those at Parma., now in a very dilapidated state, Milan, Verona, Turin, Naples, and Bologna. In France, a very fine theatre at Bourdeaux; the theatre at Versailles ; and some ele gant theatres in Paris. We subjoin a short table of the width of the stage in a few European and American theatres: Milan . . . . 40 feet San Benedetto. Venice . 40 Theatre Frantais, Paris . 90 Parma . . . . 90 Bourdeaux . . 30 Turin • • • Covent-Garden 37 Argentino, at Rome 30 Theatre . 33 Fir adwe' Theatre, New York 45