Roman Theatre of Frejus
About
Forum Iulii's theatre was the city's first purpose-built entertainment venue, raised in Esterel sandstone on a gentle hillside so around 2,000 spectators could watch actors in full view. By 117 CE it had already hosted a century of performances near the city's Gate of Rome. It later served as a defensive bastion and a stone quarry before archaeologists excavated it in the 1920s.
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 →