File:Pompeii; its history, buildings and antiquities - an account of the destruction of the city, with a full description of the remains, and of the recent excavations and also an itinerary for visitors (14770616134).jpg

Identifier: pompeiiitshist00dyer (find matches)
Title: Pompeii; its history, buildings and antiquities : an account of the destruction of the city, with a full description of the remains, and of the recent excavations and also an itinerary for visitors
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: Dyer, Thomas Henry, 1804-1888
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Bell
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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Plan of the small Theatre. are of a very hard Vesuvian lava, well fitted to withstand theconstant action of ascending and descending feet. The frontwall of the proscenium, the scene, and the pavement of theorchestra, were entirely of marble of various colours—Africanbreccia, giallo antico, and a purple marble. A band of marble,striped grey and white, runs across the orchestra from THE THEATRES. 211 end to end of the seats, and in it are inlaid letters oi bronzeeight inches and a half long, and level with the surfaceforming the following inscription:— M. OLCONIUS. M.F. VERUS. IIVIE. PKO. LVDIS. Marcus Olconius Verus, son of Marcus, Duumvir for the
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games: signifying probably that he laid down the pavement.Witlim the orchestra itself there were four tiers of benches 212 POMPEII. upon whicli were placed the bisellia, or chairs of state, uponwhich the municipal authorities and persons of distinctionsat. These were usually made of bronze, handsomely orna-mented, and supported by four legs. The Romans alwaysprovided conspicuous and distinct seats for their magistrates.The curule chair, composed of ivory, was peculiar to those ofthe metropolis; the inhabitants of the colonies and munici-palities placed their authorities upon a large chair, capable ofcontaining two persons, though only one occupied it, whencethis seat of honour was called bisellium. An inscriptionfound at Nocera tells us that the perpetual duumvirate wasconferred on one M. Virtius; and beneath is carved thebisellium, with its footstool (scabellum), and two lictors atthe side, as the insignia of the duumvirate. Two inscriptionsin the Street of Tombs lead us to infer tha

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