Search Results: Roman Theatre

Elizabethan theatre, sometimes called English Renaissance theatre, refers to that style of performance plays which blossomed during the reign of Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603) and which continued under her Stuart successors. Elizabethan...

The ancient Greeks built open-air theatres where the public could watch the performances of Greek comedy, tragedy, and satyr plays. They then exported the idea to their colonies throughout the Aegean so that theatres became a typical feature...

The theatre of Dionysos Eleuthereus on the south slope of the acropolis of Athens was first built in the 6th century BCE. Modified and expanded over the centuries, it is the oldest Greek theatre and is the site where some of the most famous...

A sketch by Aernout van Buchel showing actors on the stage of the Swan theatre in 1596 CE in London, one of the principal theatres of Elizabethan theatre. (Utrecht University Library, Netherlands)

The 22 m high façade (scaena) of the Roman theatre at Aosta in northern Italy. The theatre was constructed in the 1st century CE and further extended in the 3rd century CE. The theatre had a capacity of 3-4,000 spectators.

The Roman theatre of Hierapolis in Phrygia (Turkey) was built in the 2nd century CE under Emperor Hadrian on the ruins of an earlier theatre following a devastating earthquake in 60 CE. It was later renovated under Septimius Severus (193-211...

The Roman theatre of Kourion in Cyprus was built over an earlier Hellenistic theatre. It was remodelled in the 1st and 2nd centuries and in the 3rd century, it was used as an arena for gladiatorial combats.

The Roman theatre of Thamugadi (modern-day Timgad in Algeria) was cut into the side of a small hill south of the forum. It was designed to hold up to 4,000 spectators. A dedication dates the building to the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius...

The 1st century CE Roman theatre of Arausio (Orange, France) which once had a capacity of around 9,000 seats.

The Roman theatre of Salamis in Cyprus was built during the reign of Augustus (beginning of 1st century CE) and completed during the years of Trajan and Hadrian (beginning of 2nd century CE). It originally had 50 rows of seats (just 18 remain...