Bronteion
The bronteion was a metal container (probably a bronze vase) located under the stage and containing stones that, when moved or shook, produced a noise that audiences accepted as thunder. Such thunder noise would be used in scenes involving a storm or, when accompanied by the keraunoskopeion (lighting machine), to signal the appearance of a god.
Sources:
Pollux's Onomasticon (Wayne Turney's translation) http://www.wayneturney.20m.com/onomastikon.htm
Wikipedia (translated from Italian) http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronteion
Theatrum http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Theatrum.html
PICTURE HERE
About Me
- David McTier
- David McTier is Professor of Theatre at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. He holds a Ph.D. in theatre history and criticism from the University of Texas at Austin.