Itinerarium curiosum (centuria I) : $b or, an account of the antiquities, and remarkable curiosities in nature or art, observed in travels through Great BritainStukeley, William
History
Itinerarium curiosum (centuria I) : $b or, an account of the antiquities, and remarkable curiosities in nature or art, observed in travels through Great Britain
Stukeley, William
Great Britain -- Antiquities -- Early works to 1800; Great Britain -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
In the middle of each side we may observe a _cuneus_, or parcel of the
seats, of near thirty feet broad, just over the most elevated part of
the circular work, and reaching up to the terrace, which swells out
above the concavity of the whole, and answering to the rising ground
in the middle of the terrace, which we call the pavilions, and have
assigned for the seats of the officers among the soldiery. This is
upon the shortest diameter, and over the _tribunalia_ of the emperor
and prætor; and consequently cuts each side of the upper _series_ of
seats above the circular walk into two equal parts. I have guessed
only at these reasons for it, which I leave to better judgements. One
might possibly be, to give a greater beauty to the range of seats
over the circular walk by its break, which is a thing not practised
at all in other amphitheatres, unless we suppose this effect produced
by their _vomitoria_: or is it not more necessary here, because of
the circular walk, which causes the _series_ of seats above them to
be broader at the extremity than in the middle, and therein different
from the aspect of common amphitheatres? Or was not this division
useful in distinguishing the great length of that _series_ into
separate compartments for two different sort of plebeians? Or is it
necessary to distribute the three orders of people; the senators under
the circular walk to the _podium_, whose place in general was called
_orchestra_; that half of the upper seats on the upper or south side
of this protuberant part, to the equestrian order; that on the lower
or north side, to the people or vulgar? But there seems to be another
likely reason, that every seat here was divided into two (at least some
part of it) in the nature of steps, as was practised in particular
places of all other amphitheatres: and perhaps there were three of
these ranges of steps, one in the middle, and one on each side: that
in the middle was for the officers to ascend from the circular walk to
their tribunals, or tents, set upon the raised part of the terrace,
whilst the common soldiers went up by the ascent over the cave, at the
upper end. The steps on each side led to the respective halves of the
upper _series_ of seats above the circular walk. All which uses to me
appear convenient and necessary for ease, regularity, and decency.
In the upper or south-west half of the internal slope have been some
deformities, caused by the inner edge of the terrace in some places
cut or fallen down, which spoils the curve a little: and, as the
lower terraces diminish gradually from the pavilions to the entrance,
that on the western end has received great damage over and above; for
the inward verge of it has been thrown down intirely: as for that
north-easterly half of the terrace, which we said was narrower, more
exposed to the sun, and for that reason allotted to the last rabble,
we leave them to scramble up with somewhat more labour over the whole
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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