On the old wooden theatre see Hesych. v. ἰκρία. Suid. v. ἰκρία, t. i. p. 1234. d. Sch. Aristoph. Thesm. 395.—This theatre fell down whilst a play of Pratinas was acting.—Suid. v. Πρατίνας, t. ii. 585. d. Footnote 878: Upon this practice Dr. Chandler has an ingenious conjecture. After attentively viewing the seats of several ancient theatres, and “considering their height, width, and manner of arrangement, I am inclined to believe that the ancient Asiatics sate at their plays and public spectacles, like the modern, with under them, and, it is probable, upon carpets.”—Travels, &c. i. 269. Footnote 879: Charact. c. ii. p. 10. Casaub. Footnote 880: Philoch. Frag. Sieb. p. 85. Aristot. Ethic. Nic. 5. Athen. xi. 13. ----- The orchestra, being considerably below the level of the stage, had in the middle of it a small square platform, called the Thymele,[881] sometimes regarded as a bema on which the leader of the chorus mounted when engaged in dialogue with the actors; sometimes as an altar on which sacrifice was offered up to Dionysos. That part of the orchestra which lay between the Thymele and the stage was denominated the Dromos, while the name of Parodoi was bestowed on those two spacious side-passages,[882] the one from the east, the other from the west, at the extremities of the tiers of seats which afforded the chorus ample room for marching in and out in rank and file, in the quadrangular form it usually affected. ----- Footnote 881: Etym. Mag. 653. 7. Cf. 458. 30. 743. 30. et Suid. v. σκηνὴ t. ii. p. 753, seq. Cf. Thom. Magist. in v. θυμέλη, p. 458, seq. Blancard. Scalig. Poet. i. 21. Poll. iv. 123. Footnote 882: Sch. Aristoph. Acharn. 8. Cf. Vesp. 270. -----