Duderstadt Gallery: Section 6 - Theater

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SOCIAL STATUS AND ENTERTAINMENT
The cavea (seating area) was divided into several pie-shaped sections called kerkides, which were connected by steep stairs and horizontal walkways. Spectators sat in the various kerkides according to their profession and social station.
In its later history the orchestra was converted into an arena for wild beast fights. A balustrade wall protected spectators from the animals below. Roman theaters are known as settings for gladiatorial contests and Christian persecutions. There is no definitive evidence that Antioch’s theater was used for these purposes, but the legend of St. Thecla, a follower of St. Paul who is said to have survived persecution at Antioch, suggests that Christians may well have been martyred here.

February 18, 2006
Digital Image
Courtesy of J. Matthew Harrington