The auditorium is certainly the original one [PL 4]. Nearly 400 feet in diameter, taking up slightly more than a half-circle, it climbs up the hillside in a total of fifty-five Steps, each one a row of seats. Roughly half-way up it is divided by a horizontal aisle. The front half consists of twelve sections of thirty-four rows, while the back has twenty-two sections of twenty-one rows, with staircases between the sections. The slope gets steeper above the dividing aisle and the seats higher, so that those at the back had a clear view (at the front, each row is thirteen inches above its neighbour, at the back, seventeen inches). The whole theatre could accommodate 14,000 spectators.

The plan of the auditorium makes it clear that the whole focus is upon the orchestra, the circular dancing space in the centre, rather than upon the stage behind it [Pl. 3]. It is almost a theatre-in-the-round, sixty-seven feet in diameter and outlined by a white limestone border. In the centre is a small stone which probably marks the site of an altar.

Behind this orchestra was the back wall of the skene (the actors’ room), whose original appearance has to be reconstructed from very scanty evidence. It was probably flanked by side rooms (paraskenia) built not exactly in line with it but turned slightly towards the audience. Behind the skene (and forming part of it) was a hall sixty-four feet long, resembling a stoa, or open-air meeting place, and this was in fact probably the equivalent of the present-day foyer. Like all Greek theatres, that of Epidauros stood in

a sacred precinct. Its stoa formed a link between the parts of the precinct, rather like the cloister of a monastery.

. The second-century reconstruction made radical changes, alterations which were invariable in all Greek theatres at this time and which were demanded by the changes in the conventions of drama. The back wall, from now on referred to in its own right äs the skene, was gradually becoming more and more important until it constituted a permanent architectural set. It had three entries, those on the left and right conventionally standing for the city and the country and the central one for a palace or temple. Characters could stand on the top of the skene äs watchmen on towers, or äs people appearing at upper Windows. There may also have been objects described by Vitruvius and Pollux äs periaktoi. They were wooden posts, triangulär in section, which could be revolved, presenting three different surfaces to the audience. These surfaces were painted to show the country, the sea-shore, the clouds, etc., and were clearly meant to indicate to the audience the setting of the play. No feature of the ancient theatre has given rise to so much dispute äs these periaktoi. Where could they possibly have been placed? They seem totally pointless äs scenery in the modern sense, since the three doors of the skene clearly remained visible throughout the

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play, and anyway the scene in classical plays nearly always remains the same. Professor Beare is surely right in his surmise that they stood next to the side entrances and served to teil the audience where these exits were supposed to lead—whether to the harbour, the forum, the countryside, etc. They may also have been used to herald the approach of gods on the stage, by showing pictures of the sky. The only traces of periaktoi that have been found are a few post-holes, and the mystery will probably never be finally solved.

During this period at Epidauros the stage (proskenion) was raised and a more elaborate architectural background built behind it. The old paraskenia disappeared under two ramps by which the actors ascended the new stage. A t the end of the ramps two imposing gateways were built, each with twin openings—one leading to the orchestra and the auditorium, the other to the stage [PL $]. The old orchestra, however, was allowed to remain, and the only other concession to the new style of performance seems to have been the removal of the seats of honour from the front row next to the orchestra to the front row of the upper ränge, where presumably a better view could be gained of the higher stage.

The stage buildings, both original and remodelled, are in ruins, but much of the rest is excellently preserved, the only substantial modern restorations being to the two ends of the auditorium and the two gates. The theatre is äs serviceable now äs it was over 2,000 years ago. Regulär perforrmnces of classical plays have been given there every summer since 19^4.

Epidauros gives us today our most complete picture of the classical theatre, but of course it was neither the earliest nor the most important.