GRAND THEATRE-REGIO VIII, Grand Theatre-Regio Viii

You should know that the Romans had absorbed from Greek culture a great passion for theatre, especially for two genres: tragedy and comedy.

For this reason, a large semi-circular structure was built in Pompeii as early as the second century BC, now identified as the Grand Theatre, which was enlarged and modified over the following centuries until it could hold as many as 5,000 people.

The tiered area in which the spectators sat, called the cavea, had been carved out of the sides of a hill and was divided by corridors into three distinct zones. Each area was then divided into five sectors and the audience took their seats according to their social class. As can be imagined, the highest and furthest places from the scene were for the common people.

To protect the spectators from the sun, the tiers of seats were covered by a velarium, a structure consisting of large poles supporting a large canvas....