Roman theater - Definition and Overview

Roman theatre at Orange, France

A Roman theatre is a theatre building built by the Romans.

The style of building evolved from the one of the Greek theatres, semicircular in form, although Romans tended not to be as concerned about the location, as the Greeks, being prepared to build walls and terraces instead of looking for a naturally-occurring site.

Partial list

France

• Arles
• Lyon
• Orange - listed as a UNESCO's World Heritage Site, together with other Roman buildings of the city

Italy

• Taormina, Sicily
• Theater of Marcellus, in Rome

Middle-East

• Bosra, Syria
• Palmyra, Syria
• Caesarea, Israel
• Beit Shean, Israel

Spain

• Mérida

See also

• Roman architecture
• Amphitheatre