basilicas : ba-SIL-ih-kas

(Latin; pl. basilicas: large foyer structures flanking a Roman stage).  In Roman theatre architecture, the basilicas are the large foyers positioned on each side of the stage building, containing openings (versurae) for access to the stage. The basilicas often had roofs and could extend beyond the edges of the cavea. While the term versurae is commonly used to denote these spaces, strictly speaking, versurae refers to the re-entrants at the corners of the stage or the projecting wings, making it an unjustifiable extension to apply the word to the rooms beyond.