Roman Theater
The Theater at Pompeii
•
The theater complex at
Pompeii is spectacular.
• The large theater held
5,000 spectators and the
current structure dates
from 1 A.D.
• Photographs from the air
show a perfectly
proportioned half circle
• It’s huge!
The Theater
• The large theater was
increased in size by the
Holoconius brothers, M.
Holconius Rufus and M.
Holconius Celer, who
were then honored by
commemorative plaques,
statues, and a bisellium,
the best seat in the
house.
• It’s too big to get in a
photograph. Here is
an overhead shot
showing the stone
stage now on the
right.
• And here is a
restoration of what it
would have looked
like.
The theater at Herculaneum’s proscenium used marble columns of antique yellow and
red porphyry and cornices of African and serpentine green. None of this remains, due to
the deprivations of the Austrian Prince D’Elboeuf. He was the first to excavate the theater
and he proceeded to GRIND all this splendor into cement for the construction of his villa
• The steps are
incredible and a
mountain goat would
love the risers.
• There was apparently
a nymphaeum, the
water flowing into a
circular pool at the
foot of the orchestra.
The stage is being
worked on but you
can see the stone
pillars of the back.
After the earthquake of
62AD the pool was
filled in.
There was an awning
which functioned by
means of ropes and
pulleys.
• But that’s not all
there is to see,
let’s hop off these
steps and let’s
walk to the left
here and follow
the crowd out of
this huge
theater…..
• watch your
step….and into….
What’s this?
• Another theater?
• A smaller theater,
with a marble
floor?
• The Odeon held
1,000 theater
goers and was
covered
The Odeon
• The Odeon was intended
for intimate concerts,
musical programs, and
recitations of verse and
mime.
• It was built in 80 BC.
• This is a telamon figure
holding up part of the
auditorium.
• The Odeon only had two
zones of seating, and is
an unusually harmonious
example of late
Hellenistic taste.
• Seating was arranged by
class. The public sat in
the upper rows while the
magistrates and guests
brought comfortable
seating from home for the
broad lower slabs.
• The floor was marble
• Well! TWO theaters,
not one …. but wait,
where’s the crowd
going now?
• Everybody is filing out
to the left……let’s go
too….we’ve come
outside and WOW!!
The Quadriporticus
• It’s an… open lawn with
columns surrounding for the
theatergoers. It’s lovely, the
entire complex is amazing!
• Later it became a sports
complex and gladiators
would train and entertain
here but initially it was a
lovely place to stroll and
have refreshments during
Intermission, for both
theaters!
.
• The large theater at
Pompeii was embellished
by a veneer of fine
marbles and an
enormous scenery wall.
The complex provided
day long entertainment
on special occasions.
• Sometimes when you
stand in the theater you
can almost hear the roar
of the crowd.
Vesuvius is still watching