Theatre

The design of the Roman theatre was largely dependent on the Greek original. While initial versions were erected in wood for the purpose of just one performance, their increasing popularity led to official recognition in the form of monumentalised free standing structures. Surviving Roman plays are nearly all reworks of Greek tragedy and comedy with an increased focus on music and dance to appeal to the more spectacle orientated Roman audience. The social status of the theatre is hard to discern as, although writers and orators often condemned it as an immoral corrupter of the rabble, evidence suggests that performances were regularly attended and enjoyed by scholars and emperors alike.