Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1896-04-10

lower than the arena itself, and as the face
wall Of the seats was about five feet high
people might pass to and fro during the
games without cutting off the view of those
in the seats. The most singular feature of
this passage, and great surprise when dis
covered. is its varying width, caused by
continuous curve of the bounding wall of
the seats, while the long sides Of the arena
are straight lines. The whole cavea thus
takes the form of an elongated horseshoe
The practical purpose OF this curve is easily
seen. 1t did for the spectators at the ends
just what they would otherwise be tempted
to do for themselves by getting up and
leaning forward to see the finish, which
took place at the sphendone.
For the distribution of the spectators. be-
sides the two horizontal passages already
referred to. there was third at the top of
the cavea and thirty-one flights OF steps
running from top to bottom, besides two
broad staircases running up the face Of the
end walls as far as the diaZoma. On the east
side. just where the curve Of the Sphendone
begins, the seats are broken by q rock-cut
passage running clear through the hill This
was probably made for the entrance of wild
beasts into the arena. We are told that
Hadrian introduced here that sort of spec
tacle which seem desecration of Greek
stadion where it was customary for man to
meet man in bloodless and fair encounter of
strength and skill. Traces of an iron railing
on the top surface of the bounding wall Of
the arena are an additional token Of this use
For the completion OF his work, while
Herodes had four years. Averoff has had
less than one. With all that human hands
could do, the stadiOn could not be lined with
marble in the time allowed. The sphendOne
will have twenty-four rows of marble seats
up to the diazoma.
In the rest of the cavea four lower rows
were completed in marble. 1t had been
proposed to finish the rest in Peiraus lime
stone, but the plan to finish in wood painted
white, gained in favor, because 1t was believed
that the stone seats could not be finished in
time, and because if the intention of Averoff
is ever carried out, to finish the whole cayea
in marble, greater loss of labor will be in
CURED oy working away at the peirtpus mar
BILE than by employing wooden seats, which
can be easily removed and sold for something
besides. SO, in spite of the fact that wood
is expensive in Greece, the bulk of the
crowd at the games found itself seated
upon wood, with the consolation that even
oak is not so hard as marble But the king
who will distribute the silver wreaths
to the victors, will sit in his box sur
rounded by the marble splendor of the sphen-
done. Above the diazoma it was mpos-
slbIe to lay any seats for the present
occasion, and although Averoff wishes to
have the upper half also completed. vet when
provision is once made for seating twenty
four thousand people, it is extremely doubt
| full whether any more seats will be added
without the stimulus of a second great occa-
sion. The pride of the donor alone will Sc
cure this. Ayerotf is man of
such modesty that he declines to
be present at the games, although
he has been greatly pressed by even
the king to do So But his statue in marble
will be set up between the Ilissos and the
magnificent, double-gated, sculpture-be-
decked facade of the stadlon. Some De-
mosthenes of the present day may thunder
against him from the platform or in the
newspapers, for not giving his money to
free the Greeks of Macedonia from the OPP
pressor, putting the stadion under the head
of fountains and fooleries ;" but most of
those who come to the games will probably
praise the absent donor as one who, "of all
mankind, made the best use of his money"