The Hellenistic Theatre of Pergamon
About
Builders cut this theatre directly into the acropolis slope at close to 70 degrees, the steepest surviving seating bank from the ancient world. Eighty rows of stone seating for 10,000 spectators climb 36 meters from stage to summit, engineered so tightly against the hillside that its wooden stage building had to be assembled fresh before every performance and dismantled after. By 117 CE it had already hosted plays for roughly 350 years, one of the oldest structures still working on the acropolis.
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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Roman Maps shows the empire frozen at 11 August 117 CE, the day Trajan died — its moment of greatest territorial extent. Explore the full map →