Anciens où l'on examine la Situation, les Proportions, et les Usages de toutes ses Parties, in the second volume of Mémoires de l'Académie. Ant. Bocchi, Osservazioni sopra un Teatro antico, Scoperto in Adria, Venez. 1739, 4to. with plates, and in the third volume of Mémoires de l'Académie de Cortona. Girol. del. Pozzo, Sopra i Teatri degli antichi. At the commencement of the translation of Sophocles, by Thos. Franklin, London, 1766, 8vo., is a Dissertation on ancient Tragedy, in which we find a chapter entitled, On the Construction of the Greek Theatre. We find engravings of the ancient theatres in several books of travels, such for instance, as the Voyage Pittoresque de Naples et de Sicile, by M. Houel, Paris, 1782, fol.

The following works may be consulted on the subject of the establishment and disposition of theatres.-Nic. Sabattini, Practica di fabricar Scene e Machine ne Teatri Rom. 1638, 4to. with engravings. Fabr. Carino Motta, Trattato sopra la Struttura de Teatri e Scene, Guast. 1676, fol. Enea Arnaldi, Idea d'un Teatro nelle principali sue Parti simile a Teatri antichi, ad Uso moderno accommodato, Vic. 1762, 4to. with prints. Projet d'une Salle de Spectacle pour un Théâtre de Comédie, Paris 1766, 8vo. Vues sur la Construction intérieure d'un Théâtre d'Opéra, suivant les Principes des Italiens, Paris, 1766 and 1767, 2 vols. Exposition des Principes qu'on doit suivre dans l'Ordonnance des Théâtres modernes, Paris, 1769, 12mo. Mémoire sur la Construction d'un Théâtre pour la Comédie Française, London, 1770, 8vo. Dumont, Suite des Projets détaillés des Salles de Spectacles particuliéres, avec les principes de Construction, tant pour la Mécanique des Théâtres que pour les Décorations en plusieurs genres, Paris, 1773, fifty sheets fol. Roubo, Traité de la Construction des Théâtres et des Machines théâtrales, Paris, 1776, fol. with ten engravings. Noverre, Observations sur la Construction d'une nouvelle Salle d'Opéra, Paris, 1781, 8vo. Patte, Essai sur l'Architecture théâtrale, ou de l'Ordonnance la plus avantageuse à une Salle de Spectacle, relativement aux Principes de l'Optique ou de l'Acoustique, avec un Examen des principaux Théâtres de l'Europe, et une Analyse des Ecrits les plus importans sur cette Matière, Paris, 1782, 8vo. Vinc. Lamberti, la Regolata Construzione de Teatri, Nap, 1787, fol. Franc. Ricati, Della Contruzione de Teatri, secondo il Costume d'Italia, vole a dirse in piccoli Logi, Bass. 1790, 4to. A Treatise on Theatres, including some Experiments on Sound, by G. Saunders, London, 1790, 4to. Details and representations of ancient and modern theatres may be found in Trattato de Teatri antichi e moderni, Ver. 1723, 4to. J. Capi, Opera del Teatro antico e moderno, Italiano e Straniero, Ven. 1789.

On the theatres of the ancients, we may consult, among other works :-Boindin, Discours sur

On the theatres of the moderns, more parti cularly, are: G. Montenari, Dicorso del Teatro Olimpico di A. Palladio in Vincenza, Pad. 1733, 1749, 1752, 8vo. Description du Théâtre de la Ville de Vicenza en Italie, by A. Palladio, drawn by Patte, Paris, 1779, 4to. The same theatre is found in the Fabriche e disegni, di A. Palladio, Vic. 1776-1785, 5. vols. fol. Plante e spaccato del Teatro di Bologna, Bol. 1763, fol. Cas. Morelli, Planta e Spaccato del nuovo Teatro d'Imola in Roma, Rome, 1780, fol. Plan de la Salle de l'Opéra de Berlin, built by the baron de Knobelsdorf, Berlin, 1753, oblong fol. Description de la nouvelle Salle de Comédie à Breslau, Berlin, 1783, 4to. Parallèle des Plans des plus belles Salles des Spectacles publics d'Europe, by M. Dumont, Paris, 1760. Description de la Salle de Spectacle de Bordeaux, by Louis, Paris, 1782, fol. A Description of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, by B. Wyatt, London, 4to.

THEBÆ, the ancient name of Thebes in Boeotia.

THEBAIC (from Thebes or Thebais), of or belonging to Thebes or Thebais.

THEBAIC TINCTURE, a name given to laudanum, or the tincture of opium.

THEBAID, a celebrated heroic poem of Statius, the subject of which is the civil war of Thebes between the two brothers Eteocles and Polynices, or Thebes taken by Theseus.

THEBAID, OF THEBAIS, in geography, the ancient name of an extensive district in the south of Upper Egypt, so called from Thebes, its chief city. It is the least fertile and the least populous of any country in Egypt. It is the retreat of many Greek Christians, but is chiefly inhabited by Arabs, who are zealous enemies to the Turks. It is now called Said.

THEBAN (from Thebes), of, or belonging to, or sprung from Thebes.

THEBAN LEGION, a legion of Roman soldiers, who suffered martyrdom for Christianity under Dioclesian and Maximian. It was commanded by St. Maurice, and, together with the officers, amounted to 6600 men. This legion received its name from the city of Thebes in Egypt, where it was raised. It was sent by Dioclesian to check the Bagaude, who had excited some disturbances in Gaul. Maurice, having carried his troops over the Alps, the emperor Maximian commanded him to employ his utmost exertions

to extirpate Christianity. This proposal was received with horror both by the commander and by the soldiers. The emperor, enraged at their opposition, commanded the legion to be decimated; and, when they still declared that they would sooner die than do any thing prejudicial to the Christian faith, every tenth man of those who remained was put to death. This perseverance excited the emperor to still greater cruelty; for, when he saw that nothing could make them relinquish their religion, he commanded his troops to surround them, and cut them to pieces. Maurice, the commander of these Christian heroes, and Exuperus and Candidus, officers of the legion, who had chiefly instigated the soldiers to this noble resistance, signalised themselves by their patience and their attachment to the doctrines of the Christian religion. They were massacred, it is believed, at Agaune, in Chablais, the 22d September, 286. Notwithstanding many proofs which support this transaction, Dubordier, Hottinger, Moyle, Burnet, and Mosheim, doubt the fact.

THEBES, an ancient city of Egypt, capital of the district of Thebais, was one of the most renowned cities of the ancient world. It was also called Diospolis, or the city of Jupiter; and was built, according to some, by Osiris, according to others by Busiris. Its length, in Strabo's time, was eighty furlongs, or ten miles; but this was nothing in comparison to its ancient extent, before it was ruined by Cambyses, which was no less than 420 stadia, or fifty-two miles and a half. The wealth of this city was so great, that, after it had been plundered by the Persians, what was found, on burning the remains of the pillage, amounted to above 300 talents of gold and 2300 of silver.

THEBES was also the name of a celebrated city of ancient Greece. It is supposed to have been built by Cadmus, about the year of the world 2555. This Cadmus, according to the Greeks, was the son of Agenor king of Sidon or of Tyre; but the Sidonians say he was his cook, and that his wife was a musician at court, with whom he ran away into Greece. The Greek writers tell us that, being commanded by his father to go in search of his daughter Europa, whom Jupiter in the shape of a bull had carried off, and forbid to return without her, he built, or rebuilt, the city of Thebes, after having long sought her in vain. He was at first opposed by the Hyantes and Aones; the former of whom he defeated in battle, and forced to retire into Locris; the latter submitted, and were incorporated among his subjects.

Those who endeavour to extract some truth from the multitude of fables in which the early part of the Grecian history is obscured, are of opinion that Cadmus was one of the Canaanites expelled by Joshua; and that he was of the family of the Cadmonites mentioned by Moses and Joshua. He is universally allowed to have introduced the Phoenician letters into Greece, set up the first schools, and introduced brass; which from him had the name of Cadmean given to it. The government of Thebes continued for a long time monarchical; and the names of a number of its kings have been transmitted to us,

with some account of their transactions; but so much obscured by fable that little certain can be determined concerning them. See CREON, ETEOCLES, LAIUS, EDIPUS, &c. We shall therefore here only take notice of that period of it when the Thebans emerged from their obscurity, and for a time held the sovereignty of Greece. Republic of Thebes until the battle of Leuctra. -Though the Thebans are famed in the early period of their history for their martial exploits, yet in process of time they seem to have degenerated. At the time of the invasion of Xerxes they were the first people in Greece who were gained over to the Persian interest. On account of this misbehaviour they were become very obnoxious to the other states, especially to the Athenians, whose power and renown increased every day, and threatened at last to swallow them up altogether. The Thebans, being in no condition to oppose such a formidable power, put themselves under the protection of the Spartans, who, out of jealousy to the Athenians, readily forgave them; and so grateful were the Thebans for the kindness shown them at this time, that, during the whole of the Peloponnesian war, Sparta had not a more faithful ally. By these means they not only recovered the government of Bœotia, of which they had been formerly in possession, till deprived of it on account of their siding with the Persians, but their city became one of the first in Greece. By this prosperity the Thebans were so much elated that, when the peace of Antalcidas came to be signed, they refused to agree to it, as they were thus once more deprived of the government of Boeotia; so that it was not without the utmost difficulty that they were overawed into it by the other states. Not content with forcing them to give up this point, however, the Spartans undertook to change the form of the Theban government, which at this time was a democracy, and accomplished it through the treachery of those who had the care of the citadel. The Thebans continued under the power of the Spartans for four years; at the end of which term a conspiracy being formed against them by some of the principal people in the city, among whom was a young nobleman named Pelopidas, the Spartans were massacred and driven out, and the citadel regained. During the tumult, Epaminondas, afterwards the celebrated general, with a number of the best citizens, joined the party of Pelopidas; and the latter, having called a general assembly of the Thebans, proclaimed liberty to them, and exhorted them in the strongest manner to fight for their country. This speech was received with the greatest acclamations; Pelopidas was unanimously proclaimed the preserver of Thebes, and was charged with the management of the war which was then to be declared against Sparta. These transactions so much exasperated the Spartans that they immediately sent their king Cleombrotus against them, though it was then the depth of winter. The Athenians in the mean time, who had hitherto assisted the Thebans, declined any farther connexion, lest they should draw upon themselves the resentment of the Spartans. But they were soon after determined to act again on the same side, by an attempt which the Spartan general

Sphodnas had rashly made on the Pyræum or harbour of Athens. Thus, by means of the Athenians, a powerful diversion was made in favor of the Thebans, who gradually recovered all the towns of Boeotia, and at length began to act offensively against their enemies, and made a powerful invasion in Phocis. They had now many sharp encounters with them; which, though they did not amount to decisive battles, yet raised their courage, and depressed that of the Spartans. In the battle of Tanagra the Lacedæ monians were entirely defeated by the Athenians and their allies. Soon after this, Pelopidas, with a body of only 300 Thebans, entirely routed and dispersed nearly 1000 Spartans. These successes of the Thebans greatly alarmed the Athenians, who continually sought to oppose their growing power. In this opposition they were joined by the Plateans, who on this account became extremely obnoxious to the Thebans, so that they at last came to a resolution to surprise their city. This they accomplished, and entirely destroyed it, together with Thespia, another city extremely well affected to Athens. Soon after this the Thebans, encouraged by their success, began to think of enlarging their territories, and of making encroachments on their neighbours, as they saw other states had done before them. When the general treaty for restoring peace to Greece came to be proposed by the Athenians, and was upon the point of being executed by the rest of the states, the Thebans refused to agree to it unless they were comprehended in it under the name of Baotians. The consequence was that Sparta declared war against them, about the year A. A. C. 371. The Thebans were in no small consternation to see themselves engaged in a war with the powerful Spartans, without any ally to assist them. However they resolved to make the best defence they could; and put their army, consisting of 6000 men, under the command of Epaminondas; and at LEUCTRA defeated the Spartans with great slaughter, as related under that article. Thebes until the death of Pelopidas.-The victorious general, desirous to improve this great victory, sent a herald, crowned with garlands, to communicate it in form to the Athenians, in hopes that this would be an effectual means to reunite them to the Theban interest. But it proved quite otherwise. Athens, which now looked upon them with a jealous eye, and had then in view the sovereignty of Greece, chose rather, if they could not wholly obtain it, to share it with Sparta, than to let the Thebans into the whole; and therefore even declined giving their herald audience. However, the Thebans took care to strengthen themselves by alliances; and, besides the Arcadians and Eleans, had got the Phocians, Locrians, Acarnanians, Euboeans, and other states, under their dependence: so that they were now in a condition to act offensively against the Spartans. Accordingly, under pretence of assisting the Arcadians, they entered Peleponnesus with a gallant army, with Epaminondas and Pelopidas at their head. Here they were joined by the Arcadian and other confederate forces; so that the whole amounted to 40,000 or 50,000 men, besides great numbers of those who followed the camp rather for plunder

than fighting, and were computed about 20,000 more. The army was divided into four columns, and moved straight towards Sellasia, the place of their rendezvous, from which they pursued their journey with fire and sword towards Sparta. But here they were repulsed by Agesilaus, who' was then returned to that metropolis. To repair, in some measure, this disgrace, and at the same time to leave some lasting monument which should redound as much to his glory as to the mortification of the Spartans, Epaminondas left not their territories till he had restored the posterity of the old Messenians to their ancient dominions, out of which they had been banished nearly 300 years, rebuilt their capital, and left a strong garrison for its defence. He was, however, like to have been stopped in his return by Iphicrates, whom the Athenians had sent with 12,000 men to intercept him; but this last loitered so long at Corinth that the Thebans had passed the defiles of Ceuchrea, the chief place where he could have obstructed his retreat had he taken possession of it in proper time. Epaminondas continued his march till he came in full view of the city of Corinth. He found the roads choked up with trees, rocks, stones, and every thing that could render them impassable; and the Corinthians well fortified, and resolute on a stout defence. But he came so furiously upon them, notwithstanding all these difficulties, that they abandoned all their entrenchments and outworks to the Thebans, and fled into the city. Thither these pursued them sword in hand, and made a horrid slaughter of them; insomuch that Corinth must have unavoidably fallen into their hands had their generals pursued these advantages; but whether they were afraid of the Athenians falling upon them, or apprehended some dangerous ambush in a country with which they were but indifferently acquainted; or whether the army was too much weakened through so many fatigues; or, lastly, whether the coldness of the season, it being then the depth of winter, would not permit them to proceed farther, they immediately marched towards Bœotia. This gave such a handle to their enemies, that they met with a very mortifying reception at their return to Thebes, where they were both arrested, and clapped up as state prisoners, for having presumed to prolong their command four months longer than the time limited by law, which time took in almost the whole of their expedition from their first entrance into Peloponnesus. However, at last, the judges being ashamed to proceed any farther, they were both honorably acquitted. This prosecution had been chiefly carried on and encouraged by Meneclides, a discontented Theban, and a bold and able speaker, who, by his artful calumnies at the trial, had so far prevailed with the judges as to get Epaminondas deprived of the government of Boeotia for a whole year, though he could not gain the same advantage against Pelopidas, who was then a greater favorite of the people, as being his senior. By this delay the Spartans, with much difficulty, had recovered themselves from their great defeat at Leuctra, and settled their affairs in as good a posture as they could : but, though they had repulsed the Thebans in

Peloponnesus, yet, from the exploits they had performed there, especially in the dismembering the whole kingdom of Messenia from them, they had still cause to fear what their forces might do under two such generals; and had accordingly taken care to strengthen themselves against them, and to provide themselves with a great number of auxiliaries from other states, especially from Athens, with which they had renewed their old treaty, and had agreed that each should have the command five days alternately. Soon after this treaty the Arcadians renewed the war, and took Pallene in Laconia by storm, put the garrison to the sword, and were presently assisted by the Argives and Eleans, and especially by the Thebans, who sent to them 7000 foot and 500 horse under Epaminondas. This so alarmed the Athenians that they immediately sent Gobrias with some forces to oppose his passage, and he so behaved himself against the Thebans that they were forced to abandon Peloponnesus a second time. This ill success gave fresh occasion to the enemies of Epaminondas to blame his conduct in the highest terms, notwithstanding the singular bravery with which he and his troops had forced the pass. His friends could not but suspect him of partiality for the Spartans, in not pursuing his advantage over them, and making a greater slaughter of them when he had it in his power; whilst his enemies made it amount to no less than treachery to his country: so that their brave general was once more deprived of the government of Boeotia, and reduced to the condition of a private man. He did not continue long under this disgrace, before an occasion offered to make his services again of such necessity to the state, as to give him an opportunity to retrieve his fame, and wipe off the stain which his enemies had thrown upon him. The Thessalians, who had groaned some time under the tyranny of the usurper Alexander, surnamed the Pheræan, sent an embassy to Thebes to implore their aid and protection; upon which Pelopidas was immediately sent as ambassador to expostulate with him on their behalf. He was then in Macedon, whence he took the young prince Philip, afterwards the celebrated Philip II., to protect and educate him; and, upon his return, marched directly to Pharsalus in Thessaly, to punish the treachery of some mercenaries who had deserted the Thebans in that expedition; but, when he came thither, he was surprised to be met by the tyrant at the head of a numerous army before that city, whilst his own was but a handful of men. However, whether he supposed, or would be thought to do so, that Alexander came thither to justify himself, and answer to the complaints alleged against him, he went, with Ismenias his colleague, to him unarmed and unattended, not doubting but his character as ambassador from so powerful a republic, joined to his own character and authority, would protect them from insult or vio-. lence: but he found himself mistaken; for Alexander had no sooner got them in his hands than he caused them to be seized, and sent prisoners to Pheræ. The Thebans, highly resenting the indignity offered to their ambassadors sent immediately an army into Thessaly;

but the generals were repulsed with great loss by the Pheræan usurper; and it was owing to Epaminondas, who was among them only as a private sentinel, that they were not totally cut off. For the Thebans, finding themselves in such imminent danger, which they attributed to the incapacity of their generals, had immediately recourse to him, whose valor and experience had been so often tried; and partly by persuasions and intreaties, and partly by threats, obliged him to take the command. This soon gave a different turn to their affairs, and converted their flight into a safe and regular retreat; for he took the horse and light-armed foot, and placed himself at their head in the rear, and charged the enemy with such vigor and bravery that he obliged them to desist from their pursuit. However, as the army had suffered such loss before as not to be able to pursue them in their turn, he was obliged to return with them to Thebes, with their pusillanimous generals; where the latter were fined 12,000 drachmas each, and the former was reinstated in the command, and sent with a new reinforcement to repair the late dishonor, and prosecute their revenge. The news of his being in full march on this errand greatly alarmed the tyrant; but Epaminondas, preferring the safety of his imprisoned colleague to all other considerations, forbore pushing hostilities to extremes, for fear of provoking the enemy to wreak all his fury on him: to prevent which, he contented himself for a while hovering about with his army, and now and then with such slight skirmishes as should intimidate the tyrant, and bring him the sooner to make some satisfactory offers. Alexander, being fully convinced of the superiority of the Theban general, was glad to accept of a truce of thirty days, and to restore Pelopidas and Ismenias to him; upon which he immediately withdrew his forces, and returned with them to Thebes. By this time Thebes was raised to such a height of reputation and glory as to begin to aim at the sovereignty of Greece. The main obstacle to it was, that the other states grew so jealous of her present greatness, as to enter into the strongest alliances and confederacies to prevent its farther growth; so that not being able now to procure many allies at home, they made no difficulty to seek for them abroad; and the Lacedæmonians, by leading the van, gave them a plausible pretence to follow their steps, and to procure an alliance with Persia, which at that time was ready to accept of their offers on any terms; the only question was, which of the three states should be preferred, Sparta, Athens, or Thebes. The Thebans proposed to their new confederates to send proper deputies to the Persian court to support their respective interests; which they readily agreed

the other deputies, and was received by the king with the highest marks of honor and esteem, who freely owned himself convinced that the Thebans were the people on whom he could most safely depend; and, after having greatly applauded the equity of his demands, ratified and confirmed them with great readiness, to the no small mortification of the other states. The substance of them was, that the liberties formerly granted to the other towns of Greece should be confirmed; that Messenia, in particular, should continue free and independent on the jurisdiction of Sparta; that the Athenians should lay up their fleet; and that the Thebans should be looked upon as the ancient and hereditary friends of Persia. The Thebans took advantage of the dissensions which prevailed among the Greeks as a pretence for increasing their forces; and Epaminondas thought it a proper opportunity for his countrymen to make a bold effort to obtain the dominion at sea, as they had obtained it in a great measure at land. He proposed it to them in a public assembly, and encouraged their hopes from the experience of the Lacedæmonians, who in Xerxes's time had, with ten ships only at sea, gained the superiority over the Athenians, who had no fewer than 200; and added, that it would be a disgrace now to Thebes to suffer two such republics to engross the empire of so extensive an element, without putting in at least for their share of it. The people readily came into his proposal, with extraordinary applause, and immediately ordered 100 galleys to be equipped; and in the mean while sent him to Rhodes, Chios, and Byzantium, to secure those states in their interest, and get what assistance he could from them. His negociation had all the success that could be wished for, notwithstanding the strenuous opposition of the Athenians, and of their admiral Laches, who was sent with a powerful squadron against him. But what more effectually thwarted all his measures was the work that they found for him on land, and the obliging the Thebans to take part in the quarrels that then reigned among their neighbours; so that whatever projects they had concerted, they proved abortive at this time. During the absence of that general, and of his colleague Pelopi as, the Orchomenians, being spirited up by some Theban fugitives, had formed a design to change the Theban government into an aristocracy; and 300 horsemen of the former had been actually sent to put it in execution. Their project, however, was timely discovered by the vigilance of the magistrates, who caused them to be seized and put immediately to death. They next sent a sufficient force against the city of Orchomenos, with orders to put all the men to death, and to sell the women and children for slaves, which was punctually done; after which they razed that noble city to the ground. Pelopidas was then on his way to Thessaly, at the head of a powerful army, whither he had been sent to assist the Thessalians, who still groaned under the tyranny of Alexander the Pheræan, and had made several brave efforts to recover their liberty, but had been still overpowered by that usurper. Being joined by the Thessalians, he encamped in the face of the

enemy, though far superior in numbers, and consisting of above 20,000 men. A fierce engagement soon ensued, in which both sides fought with uncommon bravery. The place where the battle was fought was called Cynocephala, from several little hills on it, between which there lay a large plain. Both sides endeavoured at first to post themselves on these eminences with their foot, whilst Pelopidas ordered his cavalry to charge that of the enemy below; which they did with such success that they soon put them to the rout, and pursued them over the plain. This obliged the tyrant to gain the tops of the hills, where he greatly annoyed the Thessalians, who endeavoured to force those ascents; so that Pelopidas was obliged to give over his pursuit to come to their relief. This immediately inspired the Thessalians with fresh courage, who again charged the enemy at several onsets; and soon threw them into such disorder that they were forced to give way. Pelopidas no sooner perceived the advantage, than he began to look about for Alexander, with a design of engaging him. Having found him out as he was commanding his right wing, and endeavouring to rally his men, he moved directly to him; and, being got near enough to be heard by him, challenged him to decide the battle by single combat. Alexander, instead of accepting the offer, turned about, and, with all the speed he could, ran to screen himself amongst his guards. Upon this, Pelopidas charged him with such furious speed that he obliged him to retire farther, and shelter himself within the thickest ranks; the sight of which made him attack with fresh vigor, and fight more desperately against him. He tried in vain several times to break through their ranks to reach him, cutting down great numbers of those that came forward to oppose him: but his eagerness at length exposed him so far to the enemy's darts that some of them went quite through his armour, and gave him a desperate wound or two, while the rest advanced and stabbed him in the breast with their spears.

Thebes, to the death of Epaminondas.—It is scarcely possible for words to express the grief and despair which not only his brave Thebans, but likewise the Thessalians and other allies showed at the sight of their slain general: some of the latter, who had perceived the danger he was exposed to, came down the hill with all possible speed to his relief; but, when they perceived that they were come too late to save him, both they and the rest of the little army thought on nothing now but to revenge his death. They rallied accordingly, both horse and foot, as quickly as possible, and began to charge the enemy afresh, and with such desperate fury that they at length gained a complete victory over them, and killed above 3000 of them in their pursuit, besides a much greater number which they had slain on the field of battle, though they still looked upon all these advantages as vastly too small to compensate the loss of their brave general. The news of his death had no sooner reached Thebes, than the whole city went into mourning. However, they sent a reinforcement to the army of 7000 foot and 700 horse, as well to revenge the death of that general, as to im