Theatre Of Marcellus Essay

Theatre of Marcellus

The Theatre of Marchellus (Figure 18) is an open-air theatre built in 13 BC. The architect is unknown. However, the building was started by Julius Caesar up until his murder. It was later completed by Augustus. The patronage is unknown, most likely a public works building using money from the citizens of Rome. The main material that was used in the building is Tuff, concrete was also used in decorative designs such as the opus reticulatum (Figure 19). Furthermore, this building was one of the earliest building in Rome to use Roman fired brick, something they took from the Greeks. The Romans incorporated some of their well-known building technique into this building. The two main ones are the Radiating walls and concrete vaulting, which

supports the whole building. The arches and columns are also present (Figure 20), but they are for more decorative pieces. Like most theatres at the time, this one was no different. Its main purpose is to provide a place where locals were able to watch different performances, whether it is a drama or one of song. The physical exterior of the theatre is ordained by many arches and columns (Figure 21).

There are three tiers of these columns and arches. The columns are Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian (Figure 22). Having the Doric influence at the base of the column and Corinthian at the top. Also arches lined the outside of the theatre. The Romans are well known for their arches so it seems that they use them in almost every building. The interior is just as impressive as the exterior. It is large enough to hold around 20,500 citizens. The seats are built into the foundation (Figure 23). They are built in a way that the main stage is the lowest point and the seats are built with the ones on the bottom being the lowest and the ones at the top being the highest (Figure 24). Much like the aqueduct, the theatre is built for the sole purpose of providing entertainment to the citizens. Unlike the Arch of Titus, it is decorated with cravings or imagery depicting beauty. It is rather plain, having only arches and columns decorating the exterior of the building. It was most likely done this way so it wouldn’t distract the people from the main reason they went there, to enjoy the arts of theatre and plays. The context behind this building is much like the colosseum, this building was constructed to

entertain the masses. This could have been a power play by Caesar to gain more approval from the citizens. It also shows how much the Romans have respects for the arts, many people enjoy shows in the theatre. If the citizens didn’t then theatres would not be a thing in Rome. This theatre isn’t new to the Greeks, but it is different than the Greek theatres. Unlike Roman theatres, Greek theatres were often built into a hill, so the seats could have natural ascension. Also, they were often out in the open, not have any walls surrounding the stage. This is because the Greeks did not have concrete, so they cannot build massive structures since there wouldn’t be enough support for the massive weight. That is why the Greeks built their theatres in hills while the Romans are able to build them in the city.