The Theater of Marcellus was a large entertainment venue located near the Tiber River and was one of three permanent theaters in the city of ancient Rome. Construction of the theater was originally begun by Julius Caesar before his death in 44 BC and was later completed by Emperor Augustus in 11 BC Augustus named the theater after his nephew and son-in-law Marcellus, who would be Augustus' heir but who died of illness at the age of 19 in 23 BC. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Theatrical productions in Rome date back to at least 240 BC. However, productions were usually performed in temporary wooden theaters that were dismantled after the theatrical production was finished. In the 1st century BC Rome had three permanent theatres. The first was the Theater of Pompey, built in 55 BC by the Roman general and statesman Pompey the Great. The second permanent theater was the Theater of Balbus, built in 13 BC by the Roman proconsul Lucius Cornelius Balbus. The third and most important permanent theater in Rome was the Theater of Marcellus. The Theater of Marcellus, built near the Tiber River, was an open-air theater, three floors high, capable of accommodating 15,000 to 20,000 spectators. The building was entered through the lower arches, under which there were corridors and stairs leading to different seating sections. Inside, the theater consisted of a semi-circular auditorium with tiers, a semi-circular area for the orchestra, and a shallow stage, which extended almost the entire width of the seating area. Directly behind the stage was a building known as a scaena, with several balconies and columns. The stage was as tall as the seating area, three stories high, and provided a decorative backdrop to the stage and a dressing room area for the actors. In a walled courtyard behind the scene were two small temples believed to be dedicated to Diana, the goddess of the hunt, and Pietas, the goddess who represented the Roman virtue of duty. Performances at the theater included performances of Roman historical events, tragedy and comedy, as well as productions of mime, pantomime, poetry and music. In 17 BC, before the theater was fully completed, it was used for theatrical productions of a major Roman religious celebration known as the Ludi Saeculares (Latin for "Plays of the Century"). The celebration of the Ludi Saeculares took place over three days and included religious sacrifices to the gods, chariot races, hunting shows and theatrical performances. It marked the end of one saeculum (from the Latin "generation" or "century") and the beginning of the next. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay After the With the introduction of Christianity in the 4th century AD the use of theater progressively decreased. In the Renaissance a palace was built over the ruins of the theater, in the area once occupied by the auditorium and the theater stage. Today it is still possible to see part of the first and second floors of the semi-circular seating area of ​​the ancient theater outside the Renaissance palace