Theatre of Dougga
About
Dougga's theatre seated 3,500 people and was paid for entirely by one local priest, Publius Marcius Quadratus, who dedicated it in 168-169 CE. Carved into the hillside below the future Capitol site, it still hosts a summer festival today. In 117 CE that hillside was bare rock. Marcus Aurelius had not yet even become emperor.
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 →