Theater & AmphitheatreJeremy Hyde
Session 52010
Theater• Roman Theaters made of:
– High, thick walls to close audience from the outer city– Semi-circular form to enhance acoustics– Concrete walls– Awnings that could protect the theater and audience from the rain
• Romans preferred mimes and pantomimes over lays but plays, pantomimes, mimes, choral events oration
• Theater was banned until 55 BC due to their promotion of immortality and so where made of wood and demolished after the performance
• Romans: thought of theaters as entertainment• Greeks: though of theaters as religious rituals
Theater (cont.)• Scaenae frons – high back wall of the
stage
• Orchestra – where the instrumentalists and chorus played during the performance
• Auditorm – the seating area usually on a hill to provide a slope
• Proscaenium – was the wall that supported the front edge of the stage with niches off to the side
• Vomitoria – entrances and exits for the audience to come and go from
Pompey’s Theater• Pompey built a huge theater in 55 BC in Campus Martius • It was the first permanent theater made of stone and
concrete• 525ft and 160m in diameter• Could seat 27,000 people• Also contained an art gallery, shops, garden and open
spaces for the public
Other Theaters• Taormina• Marcellus• Lyons
Amphitheatre• Amphitheater made of:
– Elliptical in shape– Decorated aches
• First permanent amphitheatre was the Colosseum• Vespasian decided to build the an amphitheatre in 80 BC by
draining the lake next to Nero’s Golden Palace• Amphitheatre became an essential requirement for any self
respecting cities
• In cities: hosted gladiatorial contests, and games• In provinces: sporting events or military tattoos
• Also used for chariot racing and horse racing
Amphitheatre (cont.)
• The Verona Arena was a Roman amphitheatre in Verona, Italy in 30 AD
• It was the largest amphitheatre of its time• Could host 30,000 spectators
Other Amphitheatre• Arles• NÎmes• Thysdrus