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The theatre area of
The Large Theatre was built into a natural hill in the second century BC and was one of the first permanent stone theatres in the Roman empire. It sat roughly 5,000 spectators. In the Greek style, the tiered seating extends from the ''orchestra'' carved out of the hillside. Around 2 BC, the theatre was renovated and presented to the city of Pompeii as a gift by two relatives, M. Holconius Rufus and M. Holconius Celer, according to an inscription in the theatre. Both of these men were wealthy politicians, and acting as benefactors for the renovation would have helped advance their political ambitions in the city. Additionally, both men had experience in political roles pertaining to the relationship between the colony and the emperor, thus it is also possible the Roman-style renovation of the theatre was in-part done as a tribute to the emperor or to further assimilate Pompeii into the greater Roman Empire. The Roman influence is seen above this gallery where four tiers rested upon an arched corridor. The '' cavae'', audience seating area, was divided into three sections: the lowermost section, the ''ima'', was reserved for senators,
The Odeon was a smaller roofed theatre, ''theatrum tectum'', that sat 1500 spectators and was built in 80 BC. The theatre follows the plan of other Roman theatres and
The stage featured five entrances on the back wall. A large palatial double door was at the centre with two smaller double doors on either side. Two small single doors were located at either end. There is a large doorway that opens to a colonnade leading to the Large Theatre at the west end of the stage. Opposite this is a similar doorway opening up to the street. Behind the stage is a long dressing room or ''postscaenium''. Following ancient theatre tradition, a machine used for suspending the gods and heroes was located at the left side of the stage. The orchestra, the semicircle structure below the stage, has been noted for its decor. Excavations have uncovered vividly colored marble and stone
The theatre area of Pompeii
Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried ...
is located in the southwest region of the city. There are three main buildings that make up this area: the Large Theatre, the Odeon (small theatre), and the Quadriporticum. These served as an entertainment and meeting centre of the city. Pompeii had two stone theatres of its own nearly two decades before the first permanent stone theatre was erected in Rome in the 50s BC.
The Large Theatre
The Large Theatre was built into a natural hill in the second century BC and was one of the first permanent stone theatres in the Roman empire. It sat roughly 5,000 spectators. In the Greek style, the tiered seating extends from the ''orchestra'' carved out of the hillside. Around 2 BC, the theatre was renovated and presented to the city of Pompeii as a gift by two relatives, M. Holconius Rufus and M. Holconius Celer, according to an inscription in the theatre. Both of these men were wealthy politicians, and acting as benefactors for the renovation would have helped advance their political ambitions in the city. Additionally, both men had experience in political roles pertaining to the relationship between the colony and the emperor, thus it is also possible the Roman-style renovation of the theatre was in-part done as a tribute to the emperor or to further assimilate Pompeii into the greater Roman Empire. The Roman influence is seen above this gallery where four tiers rested upon an arched corridor. The '' cavae'', audience seating area, was divided into three sections: the lowermost section, the ''ima'', was reserved for senators, magistrates
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
, and other noble people; the middle section, the ''media'', sat the middle class; the top, the ''summa'', was reserved for the plebeians
In ancient Rome, the plebeians (also called plebs) were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words " commoners". Both classes were hereditary.
Etymology
The precise origins of ...
. The tiers on the "ima" were wider and not as steep as the "media" or the "summa" to make it more spacious and comfortable for the higher class. The upper class was also separated from the other seating by a short wall, this was to show the class system, and the divide within the social standings of the classes in Rome.
Following the earthquake of 62 AD, renovations were made to the theatre. The colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade is a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. Paired or multiple pairs of columns are normally employed in a colonnade which can be straight or curv ...
leading to the theatre was converted into barracks for gladiator
A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
residence.
The theatre has been used for concerts, operas, and theatre in modern times. In the 1950s, in an effort to preserve the original steps, iron frames were installed that allowed for wooden boards to be rested upon them to provide seating.
Odeon
The Odeon was a smaller roofed theatre, ''theatrum tectum'', that sat 1500 spectators and was built in 80 BC. The theatre follows the plan of other Roman theatres and odeon
Odeon may refer to:
Ancient Greek and Roman buildings
* Odeon (building), ancient Greek and Roman buildings built for singing exercises, musical shows and poetry competitions
* Odeon of Agrippa, Athens
* Odeon of Athens
* Odeon of Domitian, Rome
...
structures. Where the Large Theatre was used primarily for staging drama, the Odeon was intended for council meetings as well as entertainment.
The thin walls and rectangular plan lead to the conclusion that the roof would have been wood rather than vaulted stone. There are two raised ''tribunalia'', platforms, above the seating that were reserved for important visitors. These platforms are cut off from the general seating completely with entrances from narrow staircases near the stage.
Additionally, modern computer reconstructions have demonstrated optimal acoustic quality in the roofed theatre, specifically citing the setting as ideal for "song and music from weaker instruments like the lyre."
The stage and the orchestra
The stage featured five entrances on the back wall. A large palatial double door was at the centre with two smaller double doors on either side. Two small single doors were located at either end. There is a large doorway that opens to a colonnade leading to the Large Theatre at the west end of the stage. Opposite this is a similar doorway opening up to the street. Behind the stage is a long dressing room or ''postscaenium''. Following ancient theatre tradition, a machine used for suspending the gods and heroes was located at the left side of the stage. The orchestra, the semicircle structure below the stage, has been noted for its decor. Excavations have uncovered vividly colored marble and stone opus sectile
''Opus sectile'' is a form of pietra dura popularized in the ancient and medieval Roman world where materials were cut and inlaid into walls and floors to make a picture or pattern. Common materials were marble, mother of pearl, and glass. The ...
in the orchestra area of the Odeon.
Quadriporticum
The Quadriporticum served as a passage, ''porticos post scans'', behind the scene of the theatre. It was a covered walkway used by spectators to either travel between events, or just gain cover from the rain. The Quadriporticus was a classic feature of most Hellenic Theatres codified byVitruvius
Vitruvius (; c. 80–70 BC – after c. 15 BC) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work entitled ''De architectura''. He originated the idea that all buildings should have three attribute ...
in ''De architectura
(''On architecture'', published as ''Ten Books on Architecture'') is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect and military engineer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus, as a guide f ...
''.Division, N. (n.d.). Quadriporticus of the Theatres (VIII,7,16-17). Retrieved November 28, 2017, from http://www.pompeiisites.org/Sezione.jsp?titolo=Quadriporticus%2Bof%2Bthe%2BTheatres%2B%28VIII%2C7%2C16-17%29&idSezione=673
The interior area of this courtyard was transformed into gladiatorial housing and gyms.
See also
*Amphitheatre of Pompeii
The Amphitheatre of Pompeii is one of the oldest surviving Roman amphitheatres. It is located in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, and was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, that also buried the city of Pompeii and the neighbouring to ...
* Theatre of ancient Rome
The architectural form of theatre in Rome has been linked to later, more well-known examples from the 1st century BC to the 3rd Century AD. The theatre of ancient Rome referred to as a period of time in which theatrical practice and performance t ...
* Roman theatre (structure)
Roman theatres derive from and are part of the overall evolution of earlier Greek theatres. Indeed, much of the architectural influence the Romans came from the Greeks, and theatre structural design was no different from other buildings. However ...
* Theatre of ancient Greece
Ancient Greek theatre was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, was its centre, where the theatre was ...
References
{{Archaeological site of Pompeii Pompeii (ancient city)