DOCSLIB.ORG

Reconstructing the South Theatre at Jerash

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Reconstructing the South Theatre at Jerash ANES 37 (2000) 3-25 Reconstructing the South Theatre at Jerash Frank SEAR Centre for Classics and Archaeology School of Fine Arts, Classical Studies and Archaeology University of Melbourne Victoria 3010 AUSTRALIA Fax: 61 3 8344 4161 E-mail: [email protected] Andrew HUTSON Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Building University of Melbourne Victoria 3010 AUSTRALIA Fax: 61 3 8344 5532 E-mail: [email protected] Abstract A team from the University of Melbourne made a detailed architectural survey of the South Theatre at Jerash in 1994-6. In addition to the survey a study was made of several thousand architectural fragments which were stored behind the theatre. This allowed a reconstruction to be made of the missing upper order of the scaenae frons. As the original survey had been made digitally the informa- tion was used to produce digital reconstructions of the missing parts of the theatre as well as a visualisation of the theatre as it may have looked in Roman times. The value of such digital recording and computer reconstructions is that they can easily be altered to take account of new evidence. Introduction The South Theatre at Jerash was surveyed in 1994-6 as part of an ongo- ing study of Roman theatre architecture by a team from the University of 4 F. SEAR & A. HUTSON Melbourne.1 The survey was part of the Australian Roman Theatres project, funded by a grant from the Australian Research Council. The project began in 1990 and since then the theatres surveyed completely or in part are those at Gubbio, Volterra, Pompeii, Taormina, Orange, Cales and Benevento. The Jerash theatre was chosen for three main reasons. Firstly it has a num- ber of unusual architectural features. The most unusual, discovered by the team in 1992, it shares with the theatre at Taormina in Sicily. Both theatres have a rectilinear scaenae frons, but the podia on which the columns stand recede around the doorways to form semicircular niches. Semicircular podia in combination with a rectilinear scaenae frons are not in themselves uncommon — they are found in several other theaters of Asia Minor and the Levant, such as Hierapolis in Turkey and the Large Theatre at Philadel- phia (Amman). However in both Taormina and Jerash the columns next to the doorways are slotted into the wall. The aim was no doubt to give the impression that the doorways are set within fully semicircular niches, as they are in a number of theatres, e.g. Benevento in South Italy, Bostra in Syria, and Sabratha in Libya. This aspect of the theatre has been fully dis- cussed in earlier articles and will not be discussed further here.2 The second reason the theatre was chosen was because it is well docu- mented epigraphically, which is of great importance in the case of a build- ing which has never been excavated stratigraphically and where no excava- tion was envisaged. The wealth of epigraphic material means that the date of the South Theatre of Jerash can be established within close limits. An inscription dating to between AD 83-96 records that a certain T.Flavius donated 3,000 drachmas to build a kerkis of the theatre.3 An inscription dating to AD 90 records the consecration of the theatron,4 but the whole theatre was not complete at this time.5 A cylindrical stone basis found near the west end of the stage with a long inscription dating to between AD 102- 114 suggests that the scaena is Trajanic.6 The final reason the theatre was singled out for study is its excellent preservation. It is a monument which has been relatively undisturbed over the centuries. Ulrich Seetzen in the account of his travels, published in 1 The team that worked at Jerash included Barry Rowney, Chris Little, Shane Harvey, Scott Newman, Zig Kapelis. Maurice Smith and the authors. 2 Sear 1992-33, pp.185-7; Sear 1996a, pp.∞217-230, Sear 1996b, pp.∞41-79. 3 Jones 1928, pp.152-3, no. 13. 4 By theatron I understand the place where the audience sat. See CIL X 833-5 from the Large Theatre at Pompeii where theatrum is distinguished from crypta and tribunalia and can only refer to the seating of the cavea. 5 Pouilloux 1977, pp. 246-54; Pouilloux 1979, pp.276-8. 6 Jones 1928, pp. 153-6, no. 14. RECONSTRUCTING THE SOUTH THEATRE AT JERASH 5 1810, mentions ‘two superb amphitheatres.’7 In 1818 when Irby and Man- gles visited they spent a week there and praised the scene of the large the- atre as ‘singularly perfect.’8 The excellent state of preservation of the theatre is confirmed in the earliest photographs taken of it, brought back by a small party led by Charles Warren of The Palestine Exploration Fund, which was established in 1865 A photo of the theatre from the north taken in 1877-18899 shows the ima and most of the summa cavea standing as well as several columns of the scaenae frons, including the two with a section of architrave at the east end of the scaenae frons.10 In 1925, following the appointment of John Garstang as the first Director of the Department of Antiquities in Jordan, conservation work began on the South theatre under the direction of George Horsfield.11 Horsfield cleared the orchestra and revealed the whole stage area, and the architectural fragments from the upper part of the scaenae frons were collected and placed in the orchestra to await study.12 When the restoration of the South Theatre began 1953 most of the ima cavea was relatively intact including the vaults over the aditus maximi; the central two cunei of the summa cavea stood almost to their full height and only the top few rows of seats were damaged in the lateral parts of the summa cavea. However most of the outer casing around the summa cavea had been destroyed and only the footings of the stage front survived in situ. Remarkably, all the podia of the columnatio still stood as well as some of the columns. In fact a pair of columns at the west end and another on the east side survived complete with capitals along with the architrave they supported. The scaenae frons wall itself stood in parts to a height of 10 or 11 courses of masonry, almost to capital height. In the 1953 restoration the three doors of the scaenae frons were rebuilt using new material in the pediments and reinforced concrete beams were inserted inside the lintels. The arched entrances at the sides of the stage were rebuilt, as well as both arched entrances into the orchestra and the tribunalia above them. In 1956 funding ran out and it was some years before the stage and proscaenium wall were finished (Fig.∞∞1). Later on the orchestra and cavea were cleared and the upper seating consolidated. In the course of this work several hun- dred carved blocks belonging to the upper order of the scaenae frons col- lected by Horsfield were removed from the orchestra and deposited behind the theatre. Work continued on the theatre throughout the 1970’s and 7 This is presumably a reference to the North and the South theatres. Seetzen, 1810. 8 Irby and Mangles 1832. 9 Cliché Bonfils. Neg. H.S.M. 976, fiche 8C.5, in the Harvard Semitic Museum. 10 The photo is published by Seigne 1989, fig. 15. 11 A plan of the building appeared in an article by Austen and Harrison 1927, pl. 1. 12 Fisher, in Kraeling 1938, p.20. 6 F. SEAR & A. HUTSON large sections of the outer wall of the theatre were rebuilt as part of the Petra/Jerash project. The unusual design features were the starting point of our interest in the theatre, but when the survey began it became clear that there was sufficient material available for us to make a complete restoration of the building. Not just a paper reconstruction but a physical one.13 There was an enor- mous quantity of well-preserved architectural material from the scaenae frons deposited behind the theatre. We calculated that there were about 4,000 blocks and that the work of cataloguing them would take us two seasons. The reconstruction The cavea The theatre is c.76 metres wide and faces north. Its cavea is built against the hill of the Temple of Zeus. The lowest 14 rows of seats, the ima cavea, seems to have been cut into the hillside and around it a rock-cut path runs at approximately the level of the praecinctio dividing the ima cavea from the upper parts of the cavea. The ima cavea has 14 rows of seats, divided into four cunei and the praecinctio, 2.19-2.21 metres wide, is surrounded by a podium (Fig.∞∞3). Originally there was a 15th row of seats which stood around the rim of the praecinctio. Most of these seats have disappeared, although 15 fragments can still be seen at intervals along the corridor. They had high backs, which suggests that they were for persons of importance, and were 56 cm deep, including the overhang at the front and 49 cm without it. When placed over the cuttings behind the top row of seats they reduce the width of the praecinctio to 1.04-1.06 metres. The best-preserved seat (the last one on the west side) has a back 87 cm high and a seat 44 cm high. The back is broken at the top and was originally somewhat higher. On the analogy of similar high-backed seats in the theatre of Amman and the West Theatre at Umm Qais, the Jerash seat can be restored as a little over a metre high.14 The floor level of the praecinctio was probably at the bottom of the two rows of orthostates which form the podium around the praecinctio.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Feminism and the Staged Uncanny
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works School of Arts & Sciences Theses Hunter College Winter 1-5-2020 Feminism and the Staged Uncanny Jessica C. Mensch CUNY Hunter College How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/538 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] Feminism and the Staged Uncanny by Jessica Mensch Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Painting, Hunter College The City University of New York 2020 12/16/2019 Andrea Blum Date Thesis Sponsor 12/16/2019 Lisa Corinne Davis Date Second Reader i Table of Contents List of Illustrations ii I. Introduction 1 II. Uncanny 2 III. Uncanny Theater 5 IV. Thesis 9 Bibliography 19 Image list for Thesis show images 21 Thesis show installation images 22 ii List of Illustrations Hecate's Palladio 9 2019, jacquard dye on muslin, video projection, wood, 6 shelf brackets, 108" x 148" x 12" She 12 2019, LCD screen, plexiglass pyramid, video, hair extensions, masks, acrylic paint, wire, hotglue, wood table, spray paint, 2 fake candles, pleiglass mirror, 54” x 48” x 48” She (detail) 13 2019, LCD screen, plexiglass pyramid, video, hair extensions, masks, acrylic paint, wire, hotglue, wood table, spray paint, 2 fake candles, pleiglass mirror, 54” x 48” x 48” 15 Astronomical Loop 2018, acrylic on canvas, plinth, humidifier,
    [Show full text]
  • {TEXTBOOK} Italy at Work : Her Renaissance in Design Today Pdf
    ITALY AT WORK : HER RENAISSANCE IN DESIGN TODAY PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Meyric Reynold Rogers | 128 pages | 10 Feb 2010 | Nabu Press | 9781143311901 | English | Charleston SC, United States Italy at Work : Her Renaissance in Design Today PDF Book The broad appeal of the nude extended to the novel and personal ways Renaissance patrons sought to incorporate nude figures into the works of art they commissioned. Learning Objectives Name some distinguishing features of Italian Renaissance architecture, its major exponents, and important architectural concepts. Teatro Olimpico : Scaenae frons of the Teatro Olimpico. One primary emphasis of the Counter-Reformation was a mission to reach parts of the world that had been colonized as predominantly Catholic, and also try to reconvert areas, such as Sweden and England, that were at one time Catholic but had been Protestantized during the Reformation. The Renaissance has had a large impact on society in a multitude of ways. The Palazzo Farnese, one of the most important High Renaissance palaces in Rome , is a primary example of Renaissance Roman architecture. With its perfect proportions, harmony of parts, and direct references to ancient architecture, the Tempietto embodies the Renaissance. Working together across cultural and religious divides, they both become very rich, and the Ottomans became one of the most powerful political entities in the world. A popular explanation for the Italian Renaissance is the thesis that the primary impetus of the early Renaissance was the long-running series of wars between Florence and Milan, whereby the leading figures of Florence rallied the people by presenting the war as one between the free republic and a despotic monarchy.
    [Show full text]
  • The Theatre-Amphitheatre of the Sanctuary of Apollo in Cyrene
    THE THEATRE-AMPHITHEATRE OF THE SANCTUARY OF APOLLO IN CYRENE. Master Conservation Plan Director: Serenella Ensoli THE THEATRE-AMPHITHEATRE OF THE SANCTUARY OF APOLLO AT CYRENE Made possible with the support of: Picture on front cover Cyrene, the Terrace of Myrtousa, seat of the Sanctuary of Apollo, seen from north-west. In the foreground, the Theatre- Amphitheatre (aerial photo of ‘900: from S. Ensoli [and.], Cyrene, Milano 2000, p. 14) THE THEATRE-AMPHITHEATRE OF THE SANCTUARY OF APOLLO IN CYRENE INDEX 1. Introduction p. 6 2. Cyrene and Apollo’s Sanctuary on the Terrace of Myrtousa p. 13 2.1. Cyrene: historical and topographical profile of the ancient polis 2.2. The Sanctuary of Apollo in Greek and Roman times and the history of the excavations 3. The Theatre-Amphitheatre: studies and investigations carried out by the MAIC in 2005 and 2006 p. 21 3.1. The recovery of the photographic documentation of the ’30s in the Archive of the Department of Antiquities of Cyrene and the bibliographical research 3.2. The database of the architectonical elements located in the areas adjacent to the monument. For the virtual 3D rendering of the Theatre-Amphitheatre 3.3. The “re-discovery” of the rocky level of the orchestra and of the scaenae 3.4. The planimetry and the elevations of the Theatre-Amphitheatre: the direct survey on the field and the computerised indirect one (laser scanner laser, photogrammetry, GPS). For the completion of the documentation 3.5 The stratigraphic soundings 3.6 The database of the epigraphic material in situ and out of situ 4.
    [Show full text]
  • The Theatres of Pompeii
    FRANCIS REID VISITS THE THEATRES OF POMPEII Roman theatre remains are to be found all waves, contained virtually every phenom­ that one is reminded of the theatres which around the mediterranean. As far as I can enon ever associated with the wrath of the were constructed as ruins in eighteenth ascertain, the ones which are most complete gods-an event over which Vesuvius century gardens by noble ladies who liked to (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say maintained a grumbling presence through­ play shepherdess. less incomplete) are those at Sabratha in out subsequent centuries. The Odeon is a beautifully proportioned Libya and Merida in Spain. Until Libya One of the joys of Italy is that their archi­ space, scaled for music, mime and reci­ becomes a less traumatic area for tourism, tectural heritage is so extensive that they tation. It was roofed whereas the larger Sabratha will have to remain but a tantalis­ have no alternative but to treat it casually. theatre had only an enormous velarium ing hope for a future journey; however I Somehow the general unkempt air of canopy which protected the seating area have positive plans to combine Roman Pompeii, the weeds, even the occasional from sun and rain . (It was supported by Merida with eighteenth century Almagro. fugitive squashed coke can, promotes a poles fastened in rings which can still be Meanwhile my feeling for Roman perform­ feeling of reality. Imagination completes the seen behind the topmost seating row .) The ance conditions slowly builds up as I sit on picture in a way that a full restoration never Odeon is a purely Roman theatre whereas a series of tiered stones that have known could.
    [Show full text]
  • La Scaenae Frons Del Teatro Romano De Mérida. Anejos De Aespa, LXXXVI
    ANEJOS Pedro Mateos Cruz AESPA (ed.) ANEJOS LXXXVI DE 2018 AESPA LXXXVI SCAENAE FRONS LA DEL ROMANO DE MÉRIDA TEATRO LA SCAENAE FRONS DEL TEATRO ROMANO DE MÉRIDA ISBN 978-xx-xx-xxxx-x ARCHIVO ESPAÑOL DE ARQVEOLOGÍA falta CSIC ANEJOS DE ARCHIVO ESPAÑOL DE ARQUEOLOGÍA LXXXVI LA SCAENAE FRONS DEL TEATRO ROMANO DE MÉRIDA ANEJOS DE AESPA Director Ángel Morillo Cerdán, Universidad Complutense de Madrid Secretaria Inés Sastre Prats, Instituto de Historia, CSIC Comité Editorial Miguel Cisneros Cunchillos, Universidad de Cantabria Adolfo J. Domínguez Monedero, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Susana González Reyero, Instituto de Historia, CSIC Victorino Mayoral Herrera, Instituto de Arqueología-Mérida, CSIC-Junta de Extremadura Carlos J. Morán Sánchez, Instituto de Arqueología-Mérida, CSIC-Junta de Extremadura José Miguel Noguera Celdrán, Universidad de Murcia María Ángeles Utrero, Escuela de Estudios Árabes, CSIC Consejo Asesor Juan Manuel Abascal Palazón, Universidad de Alicante Javier Arce, Université Lille Bárbara Böck, Instituto de Lenguas y Culturas del Mediterráneo y Oriente Próximo, CSIC Pietro Brogiolo, Università di Padova Luis Caballero Zoreda, Instituto de Historia, CSIC Monique Clavel-Lévêque, Université Franche-Comté Filippo Coarelli, Universitá degli Studi di Perugia Teresa Chapa Brunet, Universidad Complutense María Paz García-Bellido, Instituto de Historia, CSIC Carmen García Merino, Universidad de Valladolid Pilar León-Castro Alonso, Universidad de Sevilla Almudena Orejas Saco del Valle, Instituto de Historia, CSIC Francisco Pina Polo, Universidad de Zaragoza Domingo Plácido Suárez, Universidad Complutense de Madrid María Ruiz del Árbol Moro, Instituto de Historia, CSIC Trinidad Tortosa Rocamora, Instituto de Arqueología-Mérida, CSIC-Junta de Extremadura PEDRO MATEOS CRUZ (ed.) (eds.) LA SCAENAE FRONS DEL TEATRO ROMANO DE MÉRIDA CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTÍFICAS Mérida, 2018 Reservados todos los derechos por la legislación en materia de Propiedad Intelectual.
    [Show full text]
  • The Architecture of the Ancient Greek Theatre Acts of an International Conference at the Danish Institute at Athens 27-30 January 2012
    The In this volume the leading experts on ancient Greek theatre Architecture The Architecture architecture present new excavation results and new analyses of individual monuments. Many well-known theatres such as the of the Ancient one of Dionysos in Athens and others at for instance Messene, Sikyon, Chaironeia in Greece and Aphrodisias in Turke y Greek Theatre have been re-examined since their original publication with re of stunning results. New research also includes less well-known of the or newly discovered ancient Greek theatres in Albania, Turke y, the Cyprus and Sicily. Further studies on the history of research, Ancient Ancient regional theatrical developments, terminology and function, as well as a perspective on Roman theatres built in Greek traditions make this volume a comprehensive book of new Greek research for specialist scholars as well as for students and the Greek interested public. Fundamental publications on the topic have not been presented for many years, and this book aims to form Theatre Theatre a new foundation for the study of theatre architecture. Edited by Rune Frederiksen, Elizabeth R. Gebhard and Alexander Sokolicek Monographs of the Danish Institute at Athens Aarhus University Press Volume 17 99719_cover_ancient greek theatres_cc15_r1.indd 1 16/10/15 08:47 The Architecture of the Ancient Greek Theatre Acts of an International Conference at the Danish Institute at Athens 27-30 January 2012 The Architecture of the Ancient Greek Theatre Acts of an International Conference at the Danish Institute at Athens 27-30 January 2012 Edited by Rune Frederiksen, Elizabeth R. Gebhard and Alexander Sokolicek Monographs of the Danish Institute at Athens, Volume 17 The Architecture of the Ancient Greek Theatre © Aarhus University Press and The Danish Institute at Athens 2015 Monographs of the Danish Institute, no.
    [Show full text]
  • Aphrodisias and the Regional Marble Trade. the Scaenae Frons of the Theatre at Nysa
    Aphrodisias and the Regional Marble Trade. The Scaenae Frons of the Theatre at Nysa Toma, Natalia Source / Izvornik: ASMOSIA XI, Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Stone, Proceedings of the XI International Conference of ASMOSIA, 2018, 513 - 521 Conference paper / Rad u zborniku Publication status / Verzija rada: Published version / Objavljena verzija rada (izdavačev PDF) https://doi.org/10.31534/XI.asmosia.2015/03.01 Permanent link / Trajna poveznica: https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:123:591480 Rights / Prava: In copyright Download date / Datum preuzimanja: 2021-10-10 Repository / Repozitorij: FCEAG Repository - Repository of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Geodesy, University of Split ASMOSIA PROCEEDINGS: ASMOSIA I, N. HERZ, M. WAELKENS (eds.): Classical Marble: Geochemistry, Technology, Trade, Dordrecht/Boston/London,1988. e n ASMOSIA II, M. WAELKENS, N. HERZ, L. MOENS (eds.): o t Ancient Stones: Quarrying, Trade and Provenance – S Interdisciplinary Studies on Stones and Stone Technology in t Europe and Near East from the Prehistoric to the Early n Christian Period, Leuven 1992. e i ASMOSIA III, Y. MANIATIS, N. HERZ, Y. BASIAKOS (eds.): c The Study of Marble and Other Stones Used in Antiquity, n London 1995. A ASMOSIA IV, M. SCHVOERER (ed.): Archéomatéiaux – n Marbres et Autres Roches. Actes de la IVème Conférence o Internationale de l’Association pour l’Étude des Marbres et s Autres Roches Utilisés dans le Passé, Bordeaux-Talence 1999. e i d ASMOSIA V, J. HERRMANN, N. HERZ, R. NEWMAN (eds.): u ASMOSIA 5, Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Stone – t Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference of the S Association for the Study of Marble and Other Stones in y Antiquity, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, June 1998, London r 2002.
    [Show full text]
  • Jobey, Liz. “Time and Space,” Financial Times, February 1, 2013
    ! Jobey, Liz. “Time and Space,” Financial Times, February 1, 2013. The precision was not entirely a surprise. The answers Candida Höfer sent to my questions by email (her preferred method) were concise, clear and direct. This much you might expect after seeing her photographs. She confronts the large, ornate spaces with mastery and control. When I asked what the most important quality was that she looked for in a photograph, she replied, “ … it is what in German is called stimmig – that the image has a sort of balance in itself”. Höfer’s photographs reinforce that sense of balance, not only accentuating the architectural structure of a building, but also understanding the uplifting effects that space and light can have on the human spirit. Many of the spaces she photographs were designed for public or semi-public use – theatres, opera houses, libraries – and are accustomed to display and spectacle, to crowds and packed houses, or at least to the sound of people reading. But she seems content to forgo any human presence in her pictures. It is the buildings, their spatial volumes, that are her subjects. The Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, northern Italy, might have been waiting for Höfer and her cameras to arrive for over four centuries. It was the Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio’s last building, a recreation of a Roman theatre commissioned for his home town. Work began in 1580, but Palladio died six months later, leaving only a sketch for the famous scaenae frons, the ornate screen at the back of the stage, with its line of arches from which seven painted trompe l’oeil streets recede.
    [Show full text]
  • The Acoustic Model of the Greek Theatre
    The acoustic model of the Greek theatre Benoit Beckers & Nicoletta Borgia Urban Systems Engineering Department Compiègne University of Technology (France) [email protected] www.heliodon.net Summary The evolution of Graeco-Roman theatre, during its thousand years in existence, is interpreted as a two-sided problem concerning geometric acoustics and visual geometry, and, beyond that, as the first step in a more general acoustic model, which encompasses all theatre designs whose primary criteria is capacity. PACS: 43.55.Gx 1 I. INTRODUCTION Over the past few years, there has been a renewed interest in the acoustics of ancient theatres. In general, articles on the subject are based on measurements of the sound field carried out in major theatres, such as the ones in Epidaurus and Dodona [1], Aphrodisias and Aspendos [2]. Sometimes, it is simply a matter of becoming better acquainted with the auditory qualities of these places, where performances are still regularly put on. The problem is that these measurements are often taken when there is no audience present, even though an audience significantly modifies the acoustics of these stone structures. These measurements are also often a pretext to assess simulation programs based on ray tracing [3, 4], which does, or does not, take into account diffuse reflection. It is therefore difficult to deduce the original properties of these theatres which are now in ruins. Indeed, they are sometimes in a remarkable state of preservation but the marble surfaces have disappeared and the stones themselves are heavily eroded, which obviously affects the specular and diffuse components of the reflected sound.
    [Show full text]
  • Roman Theatre Information
    Roman Entertainment The Romans enjoyed watching gladiator fights, sports, chariot races and plays. Theatre, Amphitheatre or Circus Theatres, amphitheatres and circuses each had a certain purpose and design. An amphitheatre was circular and there were seats going around the performance area. By contrast, theatres had a semi-circular shape. The Roman Theatre of Orange, France A circus was an open air race track where chariot races would take place. Amphitheatres hosted events such as gladiator fights and wild beast hunts; theatres hosted plays. The ‘Arena of Nimes’ Amphitheatre, France The Roman Theatre Porticus Post ScaenamThere were usually This area was wherethree entrances to the audience wentthe stage. Vomitorium during breaks. Pulpitum×+ ×+ ×+ TheScaenae area where Frons (sky-ny- The pulpitum was theAditus stage people enteredfronz and) in front of the scaenaeMaximus frons (ah-di- Thisexited was the elaborate Orchestrawhere the actors perform.tuss) the theatre. ×+ permanent backdrop of the ×+This was where This was the stage which×+ often the main chorus entrance to Proscaeniumcontained columns. performed. the orchestra. (pra-SEEN-ee-um) ×+ ×+ This was theCavea front part of the stageThis which was joined the the pulpitumsemi-circular to the orchestra. seating area, which was raised in tiers. ×+ Next Photo courtesy of bobrayner(@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution Making Links Some words used in Roman theatres are also used in modern theatres. Find out what each word means by clicking on the button to reveal each answer. Scaenae Proscaeniu m Reveal It Reveal It The words ‘scene’ and The proscenium arch is the ‘scenery’ come from frame around the opening of this word.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix C: Roman Public Monuments in the Late Antique West
    Appendix C: Roman Public Monuments in the Late Antique West The tables in this appendix present the data collected in this provides at least the name of the structure, the city, the cen- study on the lives and afterlives of Roman public buildings. tury and date (if the date is not specified beyond late antique, These data are broken down into building type (Tables 1–16 ‘L A’ will be noted), a note and the source of the information. cover baths, 17–20 aqueducts, 21–34 spectacle buildings), Tables that present new building have the size of the build- region (Italy, Gaul, Spain and North Africa), and finally build- ing, and both new building and repairs add the patron of the ing phase (new construction, repair and restoration works, works and his title (if known). The name of the ancient city still in use and disused). Tables 35–36 present the collected is either provided in the building name, or if the structure is instances of reuse, divided by building type. Each table already named, in parentheses in the ‘city’ column. Table c.� New baths in Late Antique Italy Building City Century— Patron Size Notes Reference Date Baths of the Ostia Second half 660 m2 Baths were built up against a wall Poccardi (2006) 177; Philosopher of the 3rd from ca.250, providing t.p.q. Date Boersma (1985) 46 (maybe 4th) is provided by the masonry, which is fairly regular, with little reused material and good mortar. Baths of Ostia 3rd–4th ca.200 m2 These were expanded from a Turci (2014) Musiciolus 2nd c.
    [Show full text]
  • Review Paper Exploring the Acoustics of Ancient Open-Air Theatres
    ARCHIVES OF ACOUSTICS Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 181–208 (2020) DOI: 10.24425/aoa.2020.132494 Review Paper Exploring the Acoustics of Ancient Open-Air Theatres Sara GIRÓN∗, Ángel ÁLVAREZ-CORBACHO, Teófilo ZAMARREÑO Instituto Universitario de Arquitectura y Ciencias de la Construcción (IUACC) Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura, Universidad de Sevilla Av. Reina Mercedes 2, 41012-Seville, Spain; e-mail: {arqangel, teofilo}@us.es ∗Corresponding Author e-mail: [email protected] (received August 25, 2019; accepted January 9, 2020 ) The theatres of Antiquity, Greek and Roman, constitute public buildings of the utmost importance in the history of Western culture and in universal cultural heritage. Many of these spaces are being used for their original function with or without only minor adaptations. If they are well preserved and/or restored, these performance buildings attract large audiences to representations of classical and contemporary plays, thereby serving the purpose for which they were built in the Ancient Age. These theatres bear witness to the existing relationship between architectural work, visual and acoustic experience, and dramatic art. Although the majority are located in the Mediterranean region, these structures were also built in the major cities of the ancient world in Europe, the Middle East, northern Africa, and beyond. This paper aims to summarise and critically review research published in the literature regarding their acoustic aspects, with particular emphasis on Roman theatres. These pieces of research emphasize the importance of the diffraction of sound in the tiers of the cavea and the good intelligibility for speech of the Greco-Roman theatre. Keywords: acoustics of theatres; classical theatre acoustics; open-air theatre; heritage acoustics.
    [Show full text]