scaena, ae (falsely scēna, v. Prol. in Verg. p. 387 Rib.), f., = σκηνή.
I Lit., the stage , boards , scene of a theatre: dum histrio in scaenă siet, Plaut. Poen. prol. 20: in scaenă esse Roscium intellegat, Cic. Brut. 84, 290: foris hic extra scaenam fient proelia, Plaut. Capt. prol. 60: cum scaena croco Cilici perfusa recens est, Lucr. 2, 416: scaenaique simul varios splendere decores, id. 4, 983: scaenae magnificentia, Cic. Mur. 19, 38: nec vero scaena solum referta est his sceleribus, id. N. D. 3, 27, 69: vel scaena ut versis discedat frontibus, Verg. G. 3, 24; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 205 et saep.— Plur. : columnas excidunt, scaenis decora alta futuris, a theatre , Verg. A. 1, 429: aut Agamemnonius scaenis agitatus Orestes, on the stage , i. e. in tragedies , Verg. A. 4, 471: aut agitur res in scaenis, Hor. A. P. 179.—
B Transf.
1 Of a place like a scene of a theatre, Verg. A. 1, 164.—
2 (Post-Aug.) Of the schools of rhetoric, as scenes for the display of eloquence: at nunc adulescentuli deducuntur in scaenas scholasticorum, qui rhetores vocantur, Tac. Or. 35; cf. Plin. Ep. 7, 17, 9.—
II Trop.
1 The public stage , the public : quia maxima quasi oratori scaena videatur contionis, Cic. de Or. 2, 83, 338; id. Planc. 12, 29: ubi se a vulgo et scaena in secreta remorant Virtus Scipiadae et mitis sapientia Laeli, Hor. S. 2, 1, 71.—Prov.: scaenae servire, to show one’s self , live in the public eye , Cic. Ep. ad Brut. 8, 2.—
2 Outward show , parade , pretext : scaena rei totius haec: Pompeius, tamquam Caesarem non impugnet, etc., Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 11, 3; cf.: ne quid scaenae deesset, Petr. 117, 10; Suet. Calig. 15: scaenam ultro criminis parat, Tac. A. 14, 7 fin. —
3 Appearance , character : scaenam quam sponte sumpserat cum animă retinens, Ap. Met. 4, 20, 7.