File:The life of the Greeks and Romans (1875) (14768856495).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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f seats, the corridors (itinera), passages, and stairsleading up to them are still recognisable. The lowest part of thespectators* place, viz. the podium, has been built higher than was thecustom in theatres : as a further means of protection against the f f 2 436 THE COLISEUM. wild animals in the arena other contrivances were added. Xearthe podium were the seats of the imperial family, of the highestmagistrates, and of the Yestals; at the back of them followed theordinary rows of seats in three stories (mceniana, corresponding tothose of the exterior arcades), the lower of which, containing abouttwenty steps (gradus, no more in existence), was reserved for magis-trates and knights, the next following one (of about sixteen steps)for Roman citizens. The production-wall, between the second andthird stories, is higher than usual, and the upper rows themselvesshow a steeper ascent than the lower ones, in order to enable thespectators seated there to overlook the arena. This high praecinc-
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Fig. 441. tion-wall, called battens, was richly decorated (according to Hirt.with glass mosaic) in the same manner as that of the theatre ofScaurus. The fourth story, the steps of which were considerablyhigher than those of the lower rows, was surrounded with an openportico, also richly decorated. Here were the seats for thewomen, and, perhaps at both ends of the longer diameter, thosefor the common people. The differences of rank and stationco-existing with the legal equality of the Eoman people appearthus distinctly marked in the Coliseo, which, in a manner, becomesthe symbol of the grandeur and variegated development of thenation itself. GENERAL REMARKS ABOUT ROMAN UTENSILS. 437 86. We now turn to the consideration of the implements ofdomestic use; our knowledge of these is much more accurate thanof those of Greek origin, owing, to a great extent, to the preser-vation of the dwelling-house itself, to which these utensils belong.We have mentioned before how, during the eruption of V

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