Roman Theatre of Arles
About
Built between 40 and 30 BCE under Augustus, this was one of the earliest stone theatres raised anywhere in Gaul. Its stage wall once stood three stories tall, faced with over a hundred columns of colored marble, of which a single surviving pair — nicknamed "the two widows" — still stands today. Excavators found a colossal statue of Augustus buried near the stage, which is how the theatre's date was pinned down. By 117 CE it had staged performances and public gatherings for roughly a century and a half.
What happened here
Seating is the message: the front rows are reserved by law for the town council, and everyone can see who is sitting where. The building is a half-circle against a tall stone backdrop that also serves as a permanent set, and the acoustics are good enough that an actor can be heard without effort. The programme is mime and pantomime more than the old tragedies — bawdy, topical, sometimes politically sharp enough that performers get exiled. Audiences are loud, partisan, and quite prepared to shout a piece down. Awnings and perfumed water sprays are laid on when the sponsor is generous. Shows are attached to religious festivals and paid for by a magistrate who wants the credit, and his name is on the seating.
Sources
Nearby
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