Pompeii Theatre (modern Pompeii, Italy)

ca. Late 3rd century to 2nd century BCE

Cavea Width: 60 meters
Orchestra Width: 21 meters

Theatre at Pompeii (modern Pompeii, Italy); cavea width 60 meters; seating arrangement: ima cavea (18 rows in 5 cunei), summa cavea (5 rows in 7 cunei); southeast-facing; capacity 3,100-3,850 spectators; orchestra diameter 20.9 meters; constructed 2nd century BCE; condition: well-preserved, cavea (Sear 380-382).

The Large Theatre of Pompeii, Italy

Introduction

The Great Theatre at Pompeii (Teatro Grande) is located in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii in the Campania region of southern Italy (40°44’56.5″N 14°29’18.3″E). The theatre is positioned in the southern sector of the archaeological site, near the triangular forum and Stabian gate, forming a group with the Small Theatre (theatrum tectum) and a quadriporticus (four-sided portico) to the south-east (Sear 380; D’Ambrosio 54). It occupies a naturally sloping area incorporated into its design.

History

Originally constructed during the Samnite period in the 2nd century BCE, the theatre is one of the oldest surviving stone theatres in the Roman world (Mau 149; Bieber 173). Following Roman colonization in 80 BCE under Sulla, it underwent substantial renovations. Significant modifications were made during the Augustan period (c. 2 BCE) under the patronage of Marcus Holconius Rufus and Marcus Holconius Celer, as recorded in inscriptions at the site (Sear 380; Descœudres 132). The theatre’s development was halted by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, which preserved the structure in a remarkable state of conservation.

Theatre Specifications

The following specifications are drawn from Frank Sear’s reference book. Roman Theatres: An Architectural Study. Oxford University Press, 2006, except where otherwise noted.

Location:

• Southern sector of Pompeii (40°44’56.5″N 14°29’18.3″E)
• Built into a natural slope at the southeastern edge of the city
• Southeast-facing orientation

Cavea:

• Diameter: 60 meters
• Seating capacity: 3,100-3,850 spectators (Sear 380-382)
• Two distinct horizontal sections divided by a podium wall (H c.2.4 m)
• Ima cavea (lower seating section): 18 rows of seats (0.38 × 0.72 m) divided into 5 cunei (wedge-shaped seating sections)
• Summa cavea (upper seating section): 5 rows of seats divided into 7 cunei
• Constructed during Augustan renovations, supported by crypta

Orchestra:

• Diameter: 20.9 meters
• Paved with limestone
• Surrounded by a passage (D at passage 18.8 m)
• Four steps for bisellia (special seats for officials) with inner diameter of 11.8 m
• Rectangular water basin with curved corners
• Evidence of earlier circular water basin from first building phase (Sear 380-382)

Pulpitum/Stage:

• Length: 33.36 meters
• Width: 6.4-7.15 meters (8.10 m including proscaenium wall)
• Proscaenium height: 1.25 meters, width: 0.95 meters
• Nine mast holes for the aulaeum (stage curtain) system, which allowed the curtain to be lowered into a slot at the beginning of performances and raised at the end (Sear 380-382)

Scaenae Frons:

• Two-story columnatio (column arrangement) approximately 8.5 meters in height
• Central regia doorway (width 2.25 m) set in a large shallow curved niche
• Two hospitalia doorways (width 2.05 m) set in rectangular niches
• Rectangular niches for statues positioned between the regia and each hospitalia
• Curved niches at each end of the scaenae frons
• Multiple building phases, with brick-faced reconstruction after the 62 CE earthquake (Sear 380-382)

Decoration:

• Detailed study of decorative elements by Fuchs in “Untersuchungen”
• Numbered individual seats on the 11th row (0.39 m per seat)
• Special seat of honor for Marcus Holconius Rufus in the center of the lowest row
• Stuccoed columns in the quadriporticus
• 2nd-century BCE satyr figure in the keystone of the west parodos
• Various inscriptions documenting benefactors and renovations (Sear 380-382)

Access Points:

• Two aditus maximi (main side entrances) with tribunalia (VIP boxes) above
• Secondary passages from parodoi (side passages) led into the praecinctio (horizontal walkway) at the bottom of the ima cavea
• Crypta (covered corridor) built around the top of cavea to support the summa cavea
• Outer façade featured two stories of arches framed by brick pilasters
• Brackets with holes for vela (awning) masts at the top of the outer wall (Sear 380-382)

Current Status

The theatre is well-preserved, with substantial remains of all major architectural components. The cavea retains approximately 75% of its original seating, while the stage building survives to a height of about 2 meters (Ling 90). Modern conservation efforts have stabilized the structure (Pappalardo 83-85). The site is fully accessible to tourists during regular Pompeii archaeological site hours, with informational panels explaining its history and function. It occasionally hosts small-scale performances during summer months as part of the “Pompeii Theatrum Mundi” festival, though large-scale performances are limited due to conservation concerns (Small 201).

Renovations

First Phase (2nd century BCE):

• Original Samnite theatre built against natural lava and earth slope
• Horseshoe-shaped cavea (seating area) with converging analemmata (retaining walls of the cavea)
• Open parodoi (side entrances)
• Water basin in orchestra
• Rectilinear scaenae frons (stage backdrop) with three doorways and oblique paraskenia (side extensions of the stage building)

Second Phase (c. 75 BCE):

• Modifications to the proscaenium
• Possible reconfiguration of the scaenae frons with single row of columns

Third Phase (Augustan Period, c. 2 BCE):

• Major renovation funded by the Holconii
• Complete rebuilding of the cavea with four massive curved walls
• Addition of the crypta, tribunalia, and summa cavea
• New orchestra with limestone paving and special seating
• Documented by inscriptions commemorating the Holconii

Fourth Phase (63-79 CE):

• Repairs following the 62 CE earthquake
• Brick-faced scaenae frons according to Maiuri
• Work in progress when Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE (Sear 380-382)

Archaeological Excavations

Initial discovery occurred during Karl Weber’s tunneling operations in 1764-1765. More systematic clearing was conducted under Caroline Bonaparte (1806-1815). Giuseppe Fiorelli introduced modern stratigraphic methods (1860-1875), completing the exposure of the theatre. Amedeo Maiuri conducted detailed studies (1924-1961). Recent projects have focused on conservation and documentation.

Bibliography / Resources:

Bieber, Margarete. The History of the Greek and Roman Theater. Princeton University Press, 1961.

D’Ambrosio, Antonio. “The Theatre at Pompeii.” World Archaeology, vol. 21, no. 1, 1989, pp. 52-67.

Descœudres, Jean-Paul. Pompeii Revisited: The Life and Death of a Roman Town. Merehurst, 1994.

Fiorelli, Giuseppe. Pompeianarum Antiquitatum Historia. Naples, 1860.

Fiechter, Ernst R. Die baugeschichtliche Entwicklung des antiken Theaters. Munich, 1914.

Graefe, Rainer. Vela erunt: Die Zeltdächer der römischen Theater und ähnlicher Anlagen. Mainz, 1979.

La Vega, Francesco. Le Antichità di Ercolano: Scavi di Pompei 1757-1792. Regio Museo Borbonico, Naples, 1795.

Maiuri, Amedeo. L’ultima fase edilizia di Pompei. Rome, 1942.

Mau, August. Pompeii: Its Life and Art. Translated by Francis W. Kelsey, Macmillan, 1899.

Sear, Frank. Roman Theatres: An Architectural Study. Oxford University Press, 2006.

Small, Alastair M. “Urban, Suburban and Rural Religion in the Roman Period.” The World of Pompeii, edited by John J. Dobbins and Pedar W. Foss, Routledge, 2007, pp. 184-211.

Wikipedia contributors. “Theater Area of Pompeii.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 17 Nov. 2016. Web.5 Dec. 2017.