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Just off the North Decumanus, the North Theater was
built in 165AD. In front is a colonnaded plaza where a
staircase led up to the entrance. The theater originally
had only 14 rows of seats, and was used as a performance
stage as well as the city council chamber; the names of
the tribes represented in the council are inscribed in
Greek on some of the seats, along with those of several
gods.
In 235AD, the theater was doubled in size to its present
capacity of 1600. Two vaulted passages formed the
entrance to the orchestra, and spectators entered
through passages between the upper rows of seats. The
theater fell into disuse in the 5th century, and in
later centuries, many of its stones were taken for use
in other buildings. |
