New-York tribune., 1896-12-12
THE GREEK THEATRE.
DIR. poERPFELD UPsETs THE ThADi'
TIONAI. VIEW.

~ o,hsr Greek Theatres BY Wilhelm DoIpfea
and Emil Reisch With twelve pates s,o ana hshens:
Rsr,h nnS Won HTs; Leipzig carl Fr Fieischer-
1896 lC marks. published In "e'"""'
II this book had appeared in 1883. when 'hc
views Il represents were already iu's ''
and its material virtually collected, IL "ou'n
have produced a veritable panic IN the 'e"'7 VI
the archmologists and philoogists AS TO-
tfere will be some drawing OF SWORDS anu uo'''
pinx OF armor but lesure!y. ana WIN uue 'e
spect to the decorurn OF warfare ana the hia'u''
of arms Although DR.. D3rpfeld has not ui''i' "o"
made in nrinted form any form of defence of the
views which since 1884 he has been KNOWN u
hold upon the "stage question" his ideas nave
h.nons so fu,,v known and widely disseminated
through the medium of his annual lectures a'
Athens as well as through private intercourse
and correspondence, that they have aireauS
hoor uade the subject Of learned discus
sion In various publications, and nave es
nec,aIIy In Germany and America, found
wide> acceptance among scholars IL was IL
the autumn of 1884. at meeting Oh 'ne
German Institute In Athens, that Dr. Dorp>
field made his first public statement on inc
ouestion. fle stated then, with briel ou'iihe
of the main argument leading thereto, MS con
viction that originally actors and chorus shared
the ordinary level of the circular orchestra' anu
that the Roman theatre was developed out VI '"e
Greek by q division of the orchestra ii'o '"'
portions q lowered "konistra' ana an e'e'"'c"
stage. An extract from one OF his letters uiiue'
dats of Epril, 1886. published in the appendix 10
Mul er's manual Of scenic antiqultles' eNPla'hcu
the successive steps in the modlnca'ioh oi 'hc
plan of the Athenian theatre essentlaHy as Tic
understands them and teaches them to-uay' III
the preparation and publication OF his compieteo
results he has not however, allowed himself to
be unduly hastened either by the impatence OIL
the world to see mis- long promised book OF py 'he
perceDtion that the allegiance to the traoi'ioha'
view, which he had set himself to combat "as
steadily melting away before the irrepreSsioie
discussion his suggestions had evoked lie pa
t,rn,iv awaited the time when he could incor-
porate into his argument the completed anu "en-
d,eested results from the explorations which IN
the mean time had opened up TO study the re-
mains of the theatres at Oropos. at Thorikos' az
Eretria at Thespiai at Sikyou. at Megalopohs, at
Gytheion. at Delos. at Tralles, ana al Mashesia'
Those al Assos at the Plraeus. and at Epidauros
had been known before. Supplementary exca-
vat,ons in the Athenian Theatre were also un-
dertaken in 1886 III 1889. and in lS3o IN the 'ii-
terest of completing the data for Dorplelos WORK.
and with most important results
The book is now before US. a stately quarry u
NEARLY 400 pages unfortunately written wl'hou'
an index but adorned with ample 'hous" "o.
injurious Illustrations and embodylns' WITH a''
tho c,earness of description and neat prac'ioa''s
of arrangcment to ne expected or the au''o'' "
account of the extant remains OF all 'he ''p'
tant theatre buildings ofGreece mus iai eNp''
DHrpfeld is first and foremost an arch'e'''
rss never been willing even 10 accep' ''e wv
If archaologist, which the "orid mas i's".''
forced upon him. but still less does ne ciaii ~ oe
q nhiologist He has therefore associa'eo VII"
,,,s.,f IN the work DR.. Emil Reisch, professor
Of Classical Archaeology In the ohNeis"! "
1n,sbruck. and to him we owe three uselui ciiap-
ters of the book setting forth tne iho'ca''oN'
in the ancient dramas concerning the cons'i W
t,on and use of the theatre one dennihs the 'ee"'
rical terms for parts OF the theatre. ana one III
terpreting the various representations oi ac'oi o
acting and stage-setting which have come oo"H
70 us in vase-paintings, reliefs ana irescoes'
The book is thus an admirable descriptive oo'''-
,ond,ru hut the reader will soon be aware that
doecrntion is not its raison datre. 1t is an argu-
won, from beginning to end. This is no detri-
,,,.nt 70 the description DR.. Dorpfeld, as every
one knows who has heard him lecture never de-
scribes effectively except as he argues IhereH
lies the subtle charm Of his lectures. he IS
o,uovs leading YOU some whittier. The rapt IN
terest with which his hearers follow him In the
examination of a minute point In CONSTRUCTION
the setting of a clamp. the jointing OF wall
tho shane OF a dowe-hoe, this is due TO thelr
consciousness that he is forging link IN some
preat chain that has anchor at the enc Ihis
hook IS worth reading If for nothing else, as an
axample of how to establish case-hot Hereiy
to prove the point. so that the opponent WIN
.1on talking, but to produce conviction so that
he will shout for 1t. All the materiai vi iao' 10
carefully collected. but not to satisfy coiiect-
cr's zeal for completeness. IL Is all arranseu III
troops and battalions. and every Item Is assisheu
ito place in the ranks militant. zoo.
Tho traditional view which up to the year 1871
had unouestioned acceptance was pased upon
the account given by the Rom an archtec'ur@'
writer. Vitruvius and conceived OF the ac'ois a'
entirely separated from the chorusi In the oroihary
action. and the stage upon which they aPpeaieu
=. .tructure having a maximum width of nine
or ten feet and raised ten or tweiVe lee' aooNe
tho ,eve, Of the orchestra in which the chorus
was located SO thoroughly was this view las-
tened In the thought of scholars. through the
aoerite authority OF Vitruvius and the long
h.h,, NJ adjusting all the facts to meet 1t, that
the inherent absurdity Of the proposition never
h.A a fair consideration. What was the need
NJ lifting the actors to such height when the
audience was seated In rising, amphithea'rcal
seats? What was the need Of lifting them at all :
Surely they could be seen as well. to say the
least. II they remained on the orchestra level.
From the front seats, the seats OF honor they
could be seen far better. for from that point OF
view the edge Of the stage itself would rise 10
conceal the lower part of the actors bodies un-
,ess they were we'll out at the edge But how
were tho actors posted up on their stiit-iKe
cothurni. to move about In safety on mantei-
shelf twelve feet high. and subtracting the space
occvn,sd by the decorations, not over six or seven
.seet vide? The only security would have been in
plaeins a heavy guardrail about the outer edge!