archform

The Form of the Theatre

Geoff Stennett

Standard texts, such as Vitruvius, tell us the traditional Greek theatre auditorium (cavea) is horseshoe-shaped in plan, ie. the angle subtended by the end retaining walls is greater than a semicircle, while the traditional Roman theatre plan is a semi-circle or D-shaped. Most Greek and Roman theatres follow this rule, although there are some exceptions.

At Paphos, the angle subtended by retaining walls of the theatre (analemmata) is 181.5 degrees making the plan of the cavea neither an emphatic horseshoe nor a precise semi-circle.

Excavation has revealed that the re-built Roman retaining walls follow the alignment of the original Hellenistic walls. It would not be unreasonable to assume that the Romans would have rectified this somewhat impure geometry and remodelled the theatre to a true semi-circle. As the excavations at Paphos have shown, this is not the case.

A central 35 to 40 degree sector of the cavea seating was cut from the bedrock of the south slope of Fábrika Hill. The remaining seating was built up on an artificial slope and retained by an outer circumferential wall and at the ends by the analemmata. Of the circumferential wall only further excavation will reveal the extent of the remains.

As regards the plan relationship of the stage building to the cavea, further excavation is required to establish firm conclusions about the Hellenistic stage and indeed the Roman stage. Greek theatres normally exhibit a more expansive orchestra than the later Roman theatre, because in early Greek theatre communication between the low stage and this area was important to the action. In the Roman theatre the action had moved away from the lower orchestra and onto the stage proper. As a result of this theatrical development the orchestra lost its importance and diminished in size with the Roman stage moving forward and closer to the auditorium.

At Paphos a wall base approximately 80 cm wide and exposed for a length of some 18 metres lies parallel to the end retaining walls of the cavea. Its proximity to the centre of radius of the orchestra (3.9 m) indicates it is not Hellenistic, but the remains of the Roman proscaenium or front stage wall. Further excavation is required to reveal evidence of the original Hellenistic stage building which may in fact lie further away to the south.

On the other hand, given that the theatre of Paphos should follow the model of the (unknown) theatre of Alexandria, we may already be seeing the evolution of a type distinct from that of many Greek theatres. Concentric with the first row of seating the remains of a Roman barrier wall have been found. This protective wall was built when the orchestra became an arena for animal baiting, gladiatorial sports, and aquatic spectacles in Roman times.

We can only assume at this time that the remodelled Roman theatre at Paphos was of the typical fully developed Roman form, with an integrated high stage building and cavea and with each open side entry to the orchestra of the Hellenistic period (parodos) now enclosed to form the aditus maximus.

The Form of the Theatre
Geoff Stennett
Standard texts, such as Vitruvius, tell us the traditional Greek theatre auditorium (cavea) is horseshoe-shaped in plan, ie. the angle subtended by the end retaining walls is greater than a semicircle, while the traditional Roman theatre plan is a semi-circle or D-shaped. Most Greek and Roman theatres follow this rule, although there are some exceptions. At Paphos, the angle subtended by retaining walls of the theatre (analemmata) is 181.5 degrees making the plan of the cavea neither an emphatic horseshoe nor a precise semi-circle. Excavation has revealed that the re-built Roman retaining walls follow the alignment of the original Hellenistic walls. It would not be unreasonable to assume that the Romans would have rectified this somewhat impure geometry and remodelled the theatre to a true semi-circle. As the excavations at Paphos have shown, this is not the case. A central 35 to 40 degree sector of the cavea seating was cut from the bedrock of the south slope of Fábrika Hill. The remaining seating was built up on an artificial slope and retained by an outer circumferential wall and at the ends by the analemmata. Of the circumferential wall only further excavation will reveal the extent of the remains. As regards the plan relationship of the stage building to the cavea, further excavation is required to establish firm conclusions about the Hellenistic stage and indeed the Roman stage. Greek theatres normally exhibit a more expansive orchestra than the later Roman theatre, because in early Greek theatre communication between the low stage and this area was important to the action. In the Roman theatre the action had moved away from the lower orchestra and onto the stage proper. As a result of this theatrical development the orchestra lost its importance and diminished in size with the Roman stage moving forward and closer to the auditorium.
At Paphos a wall base approximately 80 cm wide and exposed for a length of some 18 metres lies parallel to the end retaining walls of the cavea. Its proximity to the centre of radius of the orchestra (3.9 m) indicates it is not Hellenistic, but the remains of the Roman proscaenium or front stage wall. Further excavation is required to reveal evidence of the original Hellenistic stage building which may in fact lie further away to the south.
On the other hand, given that the theatre of Paphos should follow the model of the (unknown) theatre of Alexandria, we may already be seeing the evolution of a type distinct from that of many Greek theatres. Concentric with the first row of seating the remains of a Roman barrier wall have been found. This protective wall was built when the orchestra became an arena for animal baiting, gladiatorial sports, and aquatic spectacles in Roman times. We can only assume at this time that the remodelled Roman theatre at Paphos was of the typical fully developed Roman form, with an integrated high stage building and cavea and with each open side entry to the orchestra of the Hellenistic period (parodos) now enclosed to form the aditus maximus.