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21-528: The limestone block was discovered in June 1961 by Italian archaeologist Maria Teresa Fortuna Canivet during a campaign led by Dr. Antonio Frova while excavating in the area of an ancient theatre built by decree of Herod the Great around 22–10 BC, along with the entire city of Caesarea. The artifact is a fragment of the dedicatory inscription of a later building, probably a temple, that was constructed, possibly in honour of

42-489: A fully decorated scaenae frons and gives a good general impression of what the Roman ones would have looked like in their original state, though it is in stucco over a wood framework. The theatre is also famous for the trompe-l'œil scenery, designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi , behind the scaenae frons, which gives the appearance of long streets receding to a distant horizon; it is not clear how much this reflects ancient practice. This

63-466: A tier of seats, were made available to the audience. Some Roman theatres, constructed of wood, were torn down after the festival for which they were erected concluded. This practice was due to a moratorium on permanent theatre structures that lasted until 55 BC when the Theatre of Pompey was built with the addition of a temple to avoid the law. Some Roman theatres show signs of never having been completed in

84-609: Is likely that Pontius Pilate made his base at Caesarea Maritima, the site where the stone was discovered, since that city had replaced Jerusalem as the administrative capital and military headquarters of the province in AD 6. Pilate probably travelled to Jerusalem, the central city of the province's Jewish population, only when necessary. The Pilate stone is currently held at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Plaster-cast replicas can be found at

105-455: Is seen through the use of the proscenium . The Roman theatre also had a podium , which sometimes supported the columns of the scaenae frons . The theatre itself was divided into the stage ( orchestra ) and the seating section ( cavea ). The cavea was sometimes constructed on a small hill or slope in which stacked seating could be easily made in the tradition of the Greek theatres. The center of

126-435: Is the elaborately decorated permanent architectural background of a Roman theatre stage. The form may have been intended to resemble the facades of imperial palaces. It could support a permanent roof or awnings . The Roman scaenae frons was also used both as the backdrop to the stage and behind as the actors' dressing room. Largely through reconstruction or restoration, there are a number of well-preserved examples. This form

147-625: The Archaeological Museum in Milan , Italy , and on display in Caesarea Maritima. On the partially damaged block is a dedication to the deified Augustus and Livia (the Augustan gods or "Divine Augusti"), the stepfather and mother of emperor Tiberius , originally placed within a Tiberieum , probably a temple dedicated to Tiberius. It has been deemed authentic because it was discovered in

168-462: The Theatre of Pompey in Rome, completed in 55 BC, was the first stone theatre and probably launched the style. Normally there are three entrances to the stage (Palmyra has five) including a grand central entrance, known as the porta regia or "royal door". The form may have been intended to resemble the facades of imperial palaces. The scaenae frons is often two and sometimes three stories in height and

189-522: The cavea was hollowed out of a hill or slope, while the outer radian seats required structural support and solid retaining walls. This was not always the case as Romans tended to build their theatres regardless of the availability of hillsides. All theatres built within the city of Rome were completely man-made without the use of earthworks. The cavea was not roofed, rather, awnings ( velarium ) could be pulled overhead to provide shelter from rain or sunlight. Vomitoria , passages situated below or behind

210-476: The Romans' ability to influence local architecture, we see numerous theatres around the world with uniquely Roman attributes. Similarities exist between the theatres and amphitheaters of ancient Rome. They were constructed out of the same material, Roman concrete , and provided a place for the public to go and see numerous events. However, they are two entirely different structures, with specific layouts that lend to

231-574: The architectural influence on the Romans came from the Greeks, and theatre structural design was no different from other buildings. However, Roman theatres have specific differences, such as generally being built upon their own foundations instead of earthen works or a hillside and being completely enclosed on all sides. Roman theatres were built in all areas of the Empire , from Spain to the Middle East. Because of

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252-459: The backdrop to the stage and behind as the actors' dressing room. It no longer supported painted sets in the Greek manner but relied for effect on elaborate permanent architectural decoration. This achieved a Baroque effect also seen in large nymphaea and library facades, often with an undulating facade, pushing forward and then retreating. All the significant examples date from the Imperial period;

273-401: The coastal town of Caesarea, which was the capital of Iudaea Province during the time Pontius Pilate was Roman governor . The partial inscription reads (conjectural letters in brackets): The translation from Latin to English for the inscription reads: Roman theatre (structure) Roman theatres derive from and are part of the overall evolution of earlier Greek theatres . Much of

294-411: The different events they held. Amphitheatres did not need superior acoustics, unlike those provided by the structure of a Roman theatre. While amphitheatres would feature races and gladiatorial events , theatres hosted events such as plays, pantomimes, choral events, orations, and commerce. Their design, with its semicircular form, enhances the natural acoustics, unlike Roman amphitheatres constructed in

315-479: The emperor Tiberius , dating to AD 26 to 36. The stone was then reused in the 4th century as a building block for a set of stairs belonging to a structure erected behind the stage house of the Herodian theatre, where archaeologists discovered it, still attached to the ancient staircase. The artifact is particularly significant because it is an archaeological find of an authentic 1st-century Roman inscription mentioning

336-512: The first place. Inside Rome, few theatres have survived the centuries following their construction, providing little evidence about the specific theatres. The Roman Theatre of Orange in modern Orange, France , is a good example of a classic Roman theatre, with an indented scaenae frons , reminiscent of why Western Roman theatre designs, however, stripped of its ornamental stone columns and statues. Scaenae frons The scaenae frons ( Classical Latin : [ˈs̠käe̯näe̯ frõːs̠] )

357-516: The name "[Pon]tius Pilatus". It is contemporary to Pilate's lifetime and accords with what is known of his reported career. In effect, the inscription constitutes the earliest surviving and only contemporary record of Pilate, who is otherwise known from the New Testament and apocryphal texts , the Jewish historian Josephus , writer Philo , and brief references by Roman historians such as Tacitus . It

378-419: The round . These buildings were semi-circular and possessed certain inherent architectural structures, with minor differences depending on the region in which they were constructed. The scaenae frons was a high back wall of the stage floor, supported by columns. The proscaenium was a wall that supported the front edge of the stage with ornately decorated niches off to the sides. The Hellenistic influence

399-754: The whole or parts of the theatre, perhaps secured to masts rising above it, for which there is some evidence. An inscription in the entablature above the lowest columns often recorded the emperor and others who had helped to fund the construction. A feature often found in the Western Empire, but less so in the Greek-speaking areas, was the row of curved recesses in the face of the front of the stage, as at Sabratha and Leptis Magna . The roofed Renaissance Teatro Olimpico ("Olympic Theatre") in Vicenza , northern Italy (1580–1585, designed by Andrea Palladio ) includes

420-480: Was central to the theatre's visual impact for this was what was seen by a Roman audience at all times. Tiers or balconies were supported by an exuberant display of columns, normally in the Corinthian order , often originally including many statues in niches. A siparium was stretched on the scaenae frons. In smaller theatres it could support a permanent roof, enclosing the whole theatre, and in larger ones awnings over

441-453: Was influenced by Greek theatre , which had an equivalent but simpler skene building (meaning "tent", showing the original nature of it). This led to the stage or space before the skene being called the proscenium . In the Hellenistic period the skene became more elaborate, perhaps with columns, but also used to support painted scenery. The Roman scaenae frons was also used both as

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