Expert: Maria - 10/8/2010

Question
QUESTION: Dear Maria,

My question is about the “Large Theatre” at Pompeii.

Can you please tell me what the purpose is for the metal brackets that are installed throughout the cavea.  Have these brackets been installed in modern times to support some type of temporary seating that is then removed when not needed?  I have read that the theatre is still used for performances,  and I was wondering if this temporary seating is used for these performances.

I am also really wondering what has happened to the original seating in the cavea.  I am assuming that these were made of concrete rubble, ashlar blocks, or possibly marble.  Was this material removed for building material reused in modern times, possibly by the Kings of Naples?

Thank you for your help.

Very Sincerely,

Rich


 


ANSWER: Dear Rich,

If you refer to this kind of metal fence installed throughout the “ima cavea” (i.e. the lower zone, close to the scene), it is  not original, of course,  as this metal fence has been installed in modern times to  separate the first four rows of seats ( which originally were reserved for some magistrates or people belonging to high society ) from the other  rows of seats.
[see  at http://www.pompeiisites.org/Mediagallery.jsp?idGalleria=61&idFilmato=74].

As you say, the theatre is still used for performances, and these temporary fences have been  installed  for these performances, just to indicate  the  most expensive seats.

In fact, if you see at http://www.utexas.edu/courses/italianarch/jpgs/9908030069.jpg  where there is the picture of another Pompeii theatre, the Odeon/ Odeion (Ancient Greek ᾨδεῖον, literally "building for musical competitions") which is  a smaller theatre, you can see that there is no metal fence to  separate the first four rows of seats from the other  rows of seats.
This small theatre in fact is not used today for  performances and thus no metal fence is needed.


As for the original seats in the large  theatre at Pompeii built in in the 2nd century BC, they  were originally made of stone, while only later they were resurfaced in marble, when this theatre was restored in the 1st.century AD during the reign of Augustus at the personal expense of Marcus Holconius Celer, who was a rich Pompeian vine-grower, as we read in an inscription.

It was just this surface in marble that was removed, taken away  and reused much later, after many centuries, when the excavations of Pompeii began during the reign of Carlo III di Borbone, king of Naples from 1734 to 1759.

Hope this helps.
Best regards,
Maria


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Maria,  

Thank you for your help.  I was asking about the metal brackets that are sticking out of the ground in the “media cavea”.

I found pictures of the large theatre showing these brackets at the following site:

Pompeiiinpictures: A complete photographic plan of everything at ancient Pompeii as it is today, produced by Jackie and Bob Dunn for those as enthusiastic about Pompeii as we are.

This site has the following address:
http://pompeiiinpictures.com/pompeiiinpictures/index.htm

If you go to this address and search under “large theatre” you will find the following location:
www.pompeiiinpictures.com/pompeiiinpictures/.../8%2007%2020%20p1.htm

Part One of this location has several pictures of the “media cavea” that show these brackets sticking out of the ground.

Thank you, again, for all of your help.

Sincerely,

Rich


Answer
Dear Rich,

Thanks for sending me the links to the site "Pompeii in pictures" I really appreciated.

So, the metal brackets that are sticking out of the ground in the “media cavea”,  as I saw at http://pompeiiinpictures.com/pompeiiinpictures/R8/8%2007%2020%20p1.htm,  are not original, of course, but have been installed in modern times, just as you said.

All the best,
Maria