bisellium : bih-SELL-lee-um

(Latin; pl. bisellia: ceremonial double-wide seat of honor in Roman theatres). In Roman theatres, the bisellia were special thrones placed on the broad steps (podium) that ran around the rim of the orchestra, positioned between the orchestra floor and the lowest row of regular seating. These seats were twice the width of ordinary seats and served as places of honor for magistrates, whose right to occupy them was considered a mark of high social status. Those who held this privilege were known as biselliarii or bisellarii, and they styled themselves as such in inscriptions. The bisellia were typically constructed of fine materials, such as pink breccia and white marble, often featuring decorative elements like griffins’ feet as supports. Also see: prohedria and pulvinar.