Theatre of Sabratha
About
Sabratha's celebrated three-story theatre, one of the largest ever built in Roman North Africa, rose under the later Antonine and Severan emperors and was finished around the start of the 3rd century CE, roughly ninety years after this map's 117 CE snapshot. In 117 CE, the ground where thousands will one day watch tragedies performed is still open land at the edge of the city.
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
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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 →