Lewis & Short

scaena, ae (falsely scēna, v. Prol. in Verg. p. 387 Rib.), f., = σκηνή.

  1. 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.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. Of a place like a scene of a theatre, Verg. A. 1, 164.
      2. 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.
  2. II. Trop.
      1. 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. 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. 3. Appearance, character: scaenam quam sponte sumpserat cum animă retinens, App. M. 4, 20, p. 151, 29.