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