The separate parts of the theater are a little gat, arch, apartment, wedges, scene, orchestra, stage, scene-area, scene-avenues, and scene-wings.
The actors occupied the scene, and chorus the orchestra; in which was the thymele, being a sort of eminence, or altar; and in the scene likewise before the doors stood a consecrated table. Whereas the eleos was an ancient table, which before Thespis' time they used to get upon and reply to the choristers. Part of the scene-wings [paraskenia], that were in sight and joined to the stage-house [skene], was ornamented with columns and paintings [pinakes?]. Of the three scene-doors likewise the middle opened either into a palace, grotto, hall, or whatever was of first distinction n the play; the right-hand door was a retreat for the next in rank' and the left, which had a very miserable aspect, led to some desolate temple, or had no house.
In tragedy, strangers entered at the right-hand door; and the left was a prison…
At each of the two doors, which stood in the idle, were likewise two others, on each side one, to which were fastened the wheel-hachnes [triangular prisms called periaktoi]; the right showing a prospect into the country, the left a distant view of the city; but chiefly for bringing things forward from the port, seagods, and whatever else was too unwieldy for the vehicle [ekkyklema] to bear. By turning the machine the right actually shifts the spot, and both of them change the prospect. Of the avenues too, the right leads from the country, port, or city; but persons, coming on foot from other parts, enter at the left; and crossing the orchestra, go up the stairs into the scene; the stair-rows are called steps.
We must also reckon as parts of the theater the vehicle, chariot, machine, watch-tower, wall, turret, light-house, double-roof, lightning-tower, thunder, celestial scaffold, funeral-statecouch, semicircle, Charon's Steps and trap doors. The vehicle [ekkyklema] is an high seat, upon wooden steps, adjoining to which is a throne: it brings forth to view secret transactions in the subscenery apartments; and the term for this operation is wheeling out….As for the scaffold [mechane] it shows gods and heroes that are in the air (such as Bellerophon and Perseus); and it is fixed at the left avenue aloft above the stage-house…
The watch-tower was on purpose for watchmen or others who kept an observation. The wall and turret were likewise for a distant prospect. As for the light-house, its use is evident from the very name. But the double-roof was, on one occasion, either tow separate apartments in a royal palace, such as from whence, in the tragedy, Phoenissae [by Euripides], Antigone views the army; and on another, a ridge for pelting with tiles. But the double-rood in comedy was a peeping place for procurers, or for any old or poor woman in the play to look down. The lightning-tower and thunder were, the former an high periaktos, and the other backwards under the skenè, bangs full of pebble stones poured into a brazen vessel. From the celestial scaffold [theologeion] which is over the stage-house, appear the gods, Jupiter and those about him, all in deception. The crane [geranos] is a kind of meechane let down from above for taking up a body, the same which Aurora made use of in seizing the body of Memnon. The ropes which were let down from the upper parts for lifting up heroes or gods, who seemed to be carried in the air, you might call them fly tackles. The representation of scenery on the periaktoi was done either by means of tapes-tries or of painted panels [pinakes] with figures on them, adapted to the necessities of the play; and they were let down upon the periaktoi, representing either a mountain, the sea, a river, or any such thing. The semicircle is so called from its shape; the situation of it is in the orchestra, and its use to show afar off any particular place of the city or persons swimming in the sea. The funeral-state-couch [stropheion], in which were the heroes, shows those who are transformed to divinity or persons who had perished in a tempest or in war. Likewise Charon's Steps, situation at the avenues of the benches, are for the conveyance of ghosts. The anapiesmata [evidently trap doors] were partly in the stage-house for the lifting up of a river, or any such appearance, and partly round the stairs by which the furies were raised.

Moreover with respect to masks: the tragic might be a smooth-faced man, a white, grisled, black-haired, flaxen, more flaxen, all of them old: and the smooth-faced oldest of these, having very white locks, and the hairs lying upon the prominence [onkos]. By prominence I mean the upper part of the countenance rising above the forehead, in shape of the Greek letter lambda. With respect to beard, the smooth-faced should be very closely shaven, and have thin lantern jaws. The white-haired is all hoary and bushy locks about the head, has an ample beard, jutting eyebrows, and the complexion almost white, but the onkos short. The grisled denotes the hoary hairs to be a mixture of black and grey. But the black-haired, deriving his name from the color, has a curled beard and hair, rough face and large prominence. The flaxen has yellowish bushy hair, lesser prominence, and is fresh-colored. The more flaxen has a sameness with the other, but is rather more pale to represent sick persons.
The young men's masks are the common, curled, more curled, graceful, horrid, second horrid, pale, less pale.
The common is eldest of the young men, beardless, fresh-folored, swarthy, having locks clustering, and black. The curled is yellow, blustering, with bushy hair encompassing a plump face, has arched eyebrows, and a fierce aspect. The more curled differs in nothing from the former but in being a little younger. The graceful has hyacinthian locks, fair skin, is lively, and of a pleasant countenance, fit for the beautiful Apollo. The horrid is robust, grim-visaged, sullen, deformed, yellow-haired-the yellow-haired attendant. The second horrid is so much more slender than the former, as he is younger; also an attendant. The pale is meager, with disheveled hair, and of such a sickly countenance as is suitable for a ghost or wounded person. The less pale is entirely like the common in every other respect except that it is made pale on purpose to express a sick man or a lover.
The slaves' masks are the leathern, peaked-beard, flat-nose.
The leathern having no onkos, ahs a fillet, and long white hairs, a pale whitish visage, and rough nostrils, an high crown, stern eyes; the beard a little pale, and looks older than his years. But the peaked-beard is in the vigor of life, has an high and broad prominence dented all round, is yellow-haired, rough, ruddy, and suited to a messenger. The flat-nose is bluff, yellow-headed, the locks hang on each side from the forelock; he is beardless, ruddy, and likewise delivers a message.
The women's masks are an hoary disheveled, a freed old woman, an old domestic, a middle-aged, a leathern, a pale disheveled, a pale middle-aged, a shaven virgin, second shaven virgin, girl.
The hoary disheveled, surpassing the rest, both in years and dignity, has white locks, a moderate onkos, in inclinable to paleness, and was anciently called the delicate. The freed old woman is of a tawny complexion and hoariness, having a small prominence; the tresses to the shoulders denote misfortunate.
The old domestic, instead of prominence has a fillet of lamb's wool, and a wrinkled skin.
But the middle-aged domestic ahs a short prominence and white skin, is grey-haired, but not quite hoary,
The leatherman, younger than her, and has not any prominence.
The pale disheveled has black hair, a dejected countenance, and her name from the color.
But the pale middle-aged is like the disheveled, except where she is shaven out of sight.
But the shaven virgin, instead of onkos, wears a smooth-combed tate, is shaven almost quite round, and of a color inclinable to paleness.
And the other shaven virgin is perfectly like her, but without the tate and curls, as if she had been often in misfortunes.
The girl is a juvenile mask, such as Danae might have been; or any other virgin.
The attendant masks are an horned Actaeon, a blind Phineus or Thamyris, one having a blue eye, the other a black; a many-eyed Argus, or Tyro with mottled cheeks, as in Sophocles, which she suffered from the blows of a cruel stepmother; or Euippe, Chiron's daughter, changed into a horse in Euriphides; or Achilles disheveled when mourning for Patroclus; an Amymone, a river, mountain, Gorgon, Justice, Death, a fury, Madness, Guilt, Injury, centaur, titan, giant, Indian, Triton; perhaps also a city, Priam, Persuasion, the Muses, Hours, nymphs of Mithaeus, Pleiades, Deceit, Drunkenness, Idleness, Envy; which latter might likewise be comic masks.

Satyric Masks: Satyric masks are an hoary satyr, bearded satyr, beardless satyr, Grandfather Silenus. The other masks are all alike, unless where the names themselves show a peculiar distinction, as the Father Silenus ahs a more savage appearance.

Comic masks: The comic masks, those especially of the Old Comedy, were as like as possible to the persons they represented, or made to appear more ridiculous. But those in the New Comedy were a first grandfather, a second grandfather, governor, long-bearded, or shaking old man, Ermoneus, peaked-beard, Lycomodeus, pro-curer, second Ermoneus, all of them old. The first grandfather oldest, close-shaven, having very pleasant eyebrows, an ample beard, lantern jaws, dim sight, white skin, comely face, and morose, of a pale complexion, has an ample beard, red hair, cropped ears. The governor, an old man, with a crown of hair round his head, an ample beard, no elevation fo the eyebrows, dimmer sight. Ermoneus has a bald crown, ample beard, elevated eyebrows, sharp sight. The procurer resembles Lycomodeus in eyebrows, sharp sight. The procurer resembles Lycomodeus in other respects, but has distorted lips and contracted eyebrows, and either a bald crown or pate. The second Ermoneus is shaven and has a peaked beard. Peaked-beard ahs a bald crown, elevated eyebrows, sharp chin, and morose. Lycomodeus has curled beard, long chin, and extend one eyebrow representing curiosity.
The young men's masks are a common young man, a black young man, a curled young man, a delicate, rustic, threatening, a second flatterer, parasite, a fancied mask, Sicilian. The common is ruddy, athletic, swarthy, having few wrinkles upon his forehead and a crown of hair, with elevated eyebrows. The black young man is younger, with depressed eyebrows, like an educated and accomplished youth. The curled young man is handsome, young, ruddy, has his name from his hairs, his eyebrows extended, and one wrinkle on his forehead. The delicate young man is haried like the common and youngest of all, fair, educated in the nursery, showing delicacy. The rustic is weather-beaten, broad-lipped, flat-nosed, and has a crown of hair. But the threatening young man, who is a soldier and braggard, of black complexion, and tressed, his hairs shaking like the other threatener, who is more tender and yellow-haired. The flatterer and parasite are black, quite unpolished, cringing, sympathizing. The parasite's eyes are more bruised, and he is more pleasant; the flatterer's eyebrows are disagreeably extended.
The fancied mask has cheeks bored and chin shaven, is superbly dressed, and a foreigner. The Sicilian is a third parasite.
The slave's comic masks are a grandfather, upper slave, thin-haired behind, bristly slave, a curled slave, a middle slave, foppish slave, shaking upper slave. The grandfather alone of all the slaves is hoary and shows the freeman. The upper slave wears a crown of red hair, and elevated eyebrows.
The curled slave has curled hairs, but they are red, as is likewise his color; he has a bald crown and distorted face, with two or three black curls, and the same on his chin; the shaking upper slave is like the upper slave, except in the hairs.
The women's masks are a thin old woman or prostitute'; a fat old woman, a domestic old woman, either sedentary or active.
The prostitute is tall, with many small wrinkles, hair, palish, and with rolling eyes. The fat old woman has many wrinkles on a plump skin, and a fillet round her hair.
The domestic old woman is flat-faced, and in her upper jaw has two axle teeth, on each side one.
The young women's masks are a talkative, curled virgin, demimondaine, second demimondaine, hoary-talkative, concubine, common whore, beautiful courtesan, golden harlot, lampadion, virgin slave, and slut.
The talkative has full hair smoothed a little, high eyebrows, fair skin. The curled virgin has a distinction of false hair, high eyebrows, and black, and a pale whiteness in her skin. The demimondaine has a whiter skin, and her hair tied behind in a knot; would be thought a bride. The second demimondaine is known by the distinction of her hair only. The hoary-talkative indicates her person by the name; she shows the harlot left off trade. The concubine resembles her, but is full-haired. The common whore is higher colored than the demimondaine and has curls round her ears. The courtesan has least finery, and her head bound with a fillet. The golden harlot has much gold upon her hair. The mitered harlot has her hair bound with a variegated miter. Lampadion ahs her hair platted in the form of a lamp. The virgin slave wears only a short white frock. The slut is distinguished by her hair, and is both squat, and, being dressed in a red gown, waits upon the courtesans.