The Theatre of Marcellus: historiography and perception of the theatrical space (1st c. BC)

Abstract

During the transition from the Republic to the Principate, along with arts, literature and architecture, Romes’s urban image was used by Emperor Augustus as an instrument to legitimize the power of his new government and his own image. As Julius Caesar’s heir, the Princeps aimed to modernize the city by building great public monuments. Among these buildings is the Theatre of Marcellus, one of the largest theatres of the Roman Empire. First used in 17 BC for the Secular Games and formally devoted to the Emperor's nephew and heir, the theatre could welcome over 15,000 people. Despite the obvious changes inherent to the passage of time and the restorations performed, the monument structure of the theatre remains. Therefore, deepening in the studies of theatrical physical space, we will pursuit to expose the construction of the Theatre of Marcellus, presenting its internal structure and its architectural innovations. For being this a monument somehow unattended by current historiography, we seek to deliver a broad discussion about the present studies on the Theatre of Marcellus, which provides us with the complexity of its floor plans and archaeological discoveries. Finally, we will present two three-dimensional reproductions found, reasoning the 3D space with the historiographic information.