Chapter II: Preface: To the Second Edition

Since the first edition of this book was published many important additions have been made to our knowledge of the Greek stage. Various theatres have been excavated for the first time; fresh inscriptions have been discovered; and the evidence of the ancient authorities has been examined and sifted with the minutest care. The effect has been to throw a new light on many points which were previously obscure. In order to incorporate these results in the present edition, it was found necessary to make considerable alterations in the book. The third and fourth chapters—those dealing with the Theatre and the Scenery—have been entirely re-written. The first chapter, on the Dramatic Contests at Athens, has been re-written in parts. The other chapters have been carefully revised throughout, and numerous corrections and additions have been inserted, especially on such subjects as the choregia, the theoric fund, the theatre-tickets, and the costume of the actors and the chorus. Eleven new illustrations have been added. The old ones have been mostly retained, with the exception of the ground-plan and the two views of the theatre at Athens, which have been replaced by more accurate representations.

The number of books, treatises, and articles which have been written on the subject during the last few years is so great that it would be impossible to mention them all. I propose in the following list to specify only those which I have found most useful, and to which I am chiefly indebted. Many others will be referred to in the notes. The most important work of recent years on the Greek theatre is Dörpfeld and Reisch’s _Das griechische Theater_ (Athens, 1896). The admirable and exhaustive account of the Theatre of Dionysus at Athens, which is given in this book, has superseded all previous descriptions. Dörpfeld appears to have now proved conclusively that the stone theatre at Athens was not earlier than the fourth century B.C., and his views on the subject have been followed in the present edition. The book also contains a valuable summary of the chief points of interest in other theatres recently excavated, and a complete exposition of Dörpfeld’s theory about the Greek stage. Some further developments and modifications of this theory will be found in two articles lately published by Dörpfeld in the _Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique_, 1896, p. 563 ff., and in _Athenische Mittheilungen_, 1897, p. 439 ff. After reading through Dörpfeld’s arguments, and those of other scholars who support his views, I am still of opinion that the old theory is the right one, and that the Greek actors performed on a stage from the first; though no doubt the stage of the fifth century was much lower than that of later times. Among other writings which deal with the subject of the Greek theatre as a whole I may mention the following:—Oehmichen, _Das Bühnenwesen der Griechen und Römer_, München, 1890; Navarre, _Dionysos_, Paris, 1895 (a lucid and well-written summary); the valuable articles by Prof. Jebb in Smith’s _Dictionary of Antiquities_ (v. _Theatrum_), and by Prof. P. Gardner in Jevons and Gardner’s _Manual of Greek and Roman Antiquities_; and Bethe’s _Prolegomena zur Geschichte des Theaters im Alterthum_, Leipzig, 1896. This last book, though often rather fanciful in its conclusions, is full of useful information and interesting suggestions.

To turn to the treatises on special portions of the subject. The point which has been most discussed in recent years is the question of the stage. The following are among the more important articles which have been written in favour of Dörpfeld’s views:—White, _The Stage in Aristophanes_ (_Harvard Studies_, ii. pp. 159-205); Bodensteiner, _Scenische Fragen im griechischen Drama_ (Leipzig, 1893); Capps, _The Chorus in the later Greek Drama_ (_American Journal of Archaeology_, x. 3. pp. 287-325), _The Stage in the Greek Theatre_ (New Haven, 1891), _Vitruvius and the Greek Stage_ (_Studies in Classical Philology_, Chicago, 1893, p. 3 ff). The opposite side of the question has been defended by Todt, _Noch einmal die Bühne des Aeschylos_ (_Philologus_, 1889, p. 505 ff.); Curtius, _Orchestra und Bühne_ (_Berliner Philolog. Wochenschrift_, 1893, p. 97 ff.); Prof. E. Gardner, _A Plea for Vitruvius_ (_Supplementary Papers of the Hellenic Journal_, 1892, p. 92 ff.); Lechat, _Épidaure_ (Paris, 1895, p. 215 ff.); Zacher, _Die erhöhte Bühne bei Aristophanes_ (_Philologus_, 1896, p. 181 ff.); Chamonard, _Bulletin de Corr. Hellénique_, 1896, p. 294 ff. (an admirable criticism); and also in various reviews of Dörpfeld’s book, and especially by Bethe (_Göttingische gelehrte Anzeigen_, 1897, pp. 701-28), and by A. Müller (_Berl. Philolog. Wochenschrift_, 1897, pp. 1121-31). Special views, which may be regarded as a sort of compromise between the ordinary theory and that of Dörpfeld, are advocated by Weismann in _Die scenische Aufführung der griechischen Dramen_ (München, 1893), _Zur Thymele-frage_ (_Jahrb. für classische Philologie_, 1895, pp. 673-9), _Scenische Anweisungen, &c._ (Bamberg, 1896); and by Christ in _Jahrb. für classische Philologie_, 1894, p. 27 ff., p. 157 ff., and _Sitzungsberichte der bayer. Akad. der Wissenschaften_, 1894, pp. 1-52. All these articles, together with others which might be mentioned, have been of great service in the preparation of the present edition. Opinions may differ as to the soundness of the views which they respectively advocate. But there can be no doubt that this exhaustive discussion of the subject has brought to light many new facts, and cleared up many difficulties.

As regards the theatres which have been recently explored and excavated, I have consulted (in addition to Dörpfeld’s book) the following sources:—Hermann, Bohn, and Fränkel, _Ausgrabungen zu Pergamon_, Berlin, 1888, p. 40 ff. (theatre at Pergamon); _Athen. Mittheilungen_, 1894, p. 65 ff. (theatre at Magnesia); _Papers of the American School of Archaeological Studies at Athens_, 1888, pp. 1-34 (Thoricus); _American Journal of Archaeology_, 1891, p. 253 ff., 1895, p. 331 ff. (Eretria); _Ibid._ 1889, p. 267 ff., 1893, p. 388 ff. (Sicyon); Defrasse and Lechat, _Épidaure_, Paris, 1895 (Epidaurus); Schultz, Gardner, and Loring in _Excavations at Megalopolis, Supplement to Hellenic Journal_, 1892 (Megalopolis); Chamonard, _Bulletin de Corr. Hellénique_, 1896, p. 256 ff. (Delos); _Athen. Mittheilungen_, 1893, p. 404 ff. (Tralles); Lanckoronski, _Städte Pamphyliens und Pisidiens_, Wien, 1892 (contains a very valuable account, with excellent plans and illustrations, of certain Asia Minor theatres hitherto but little known); Schrader, _Berl. Philolog. Wochenschrift_, April 16, 1898, pp. 508, 509 (a brief preliminary notice of the interesting theatre at Priene, lately excavated).

The subject of the choregic arrangements has been ably treated by Capps in his _Dramatic Synchoregia at Athens_ (_American Journal of Philology_, xvii. 3. pp. 319-28), which I have followed in most points. For certain questions connected with the Dionysiac festivals I have consulted with advantage Körte’s article _Zu Dionysos-Festen_ (_Rhein. Museum_, 1897, pp. 168-74), and Wachsmuth, _Das Thukydideische Urathen_ (_Abhandl. der Sächs. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften_, xviii. pp. 1-56). As for the costume of actors and chorus, the most valuable and instructive of recent treatises are Körte’s _Studien zur alten Komödie_ (_Jahrb. des archaeol. Instituts_, 1893, pp. 61-93), and his articles in _Athen. Mittheilungen_, 1894, p. 346 ff., and in Bethe’s _Prolegomena_, p. 339 ff.; Crusius, in _Philologus_, xlviii. p. 696 ff.; Poppelreuter, _De Comoediae Atticae Primordiis_, Berlin, 1893; Loeschcke, _Athen. Mittheilungen_, 1894, p. 519 ff.; and Bethe’s _Prolegomena_, p. 35 ff. Other articles on special points from which I have taken various suggestions are—Neckel, _Das Ekkyklema_ (Friedland, 1890); Cook, _The Thymele in Greek Theatres_ (_Classical Review_, Oct. 1895); Reisch, _Griechische Weihgeschenke_ (Wien, 1890); and Svoronos, Περὶ τῶν Εἰσιτηρίων (_Journal International d’ Archéologie Numismatique_, 1898, i. pp. 37-120). I should also mention Albert Müller’s _Die neueren Arbeiten auf dem Gebiete des griech. Bühnenwesens_ (_Philologus_, Suppl. vi. 1891)—an interesting and judicious criticism of the various writings about the Greek stage which had appeared shortly before the publication of the article.

It will be seen that many of the authorities mentioned in the preface to the first edition have been superseded, at any rate in part, by these more recent investigations. But I have thought it best to reprint the earlier list, since there are few of the old authorities which are not still worth consulting on some point or another.

I gladly take this opportunity of expressing my obligations to various friends for the corrections and suggestions which they have sent to me. I have derived many valuable hints from the reviews and notices of the first edition, and especially from the very friendly and useful criticism by Mr. L. C. Purser in _Hermathena_, and from that by Mr. H. Richards in the _Academy_. I am greatly indebted to Professor E. Gardner for the photograph of the Epidaurian theatre which is reproduced in Fig. 7; and to the Council of the Hellenic Society for their permission to copy from the _Hellenic Journal_ the illustration of a satyric chorus. I have to thank the Provost of Oriel, Professor P. Gardner, Mr. F. Madan, Rev. G. C. Richards, and other friends for their help and advice in various matters; and Dr. Albert Müller, Professor White, and Mr. Capps for their kindness in sending me writings of theirs on the subject of the Greek stage which have proved of very great service.

OXFORD, _July, 1898_.