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 started by Julius Caesar before his death in 44 BC and was later completed by Emperor Augustus in 11 BC. Augustus named the theater in honor of his nephew and son-in-law Marcellus, who was to be Augustus' heir but 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 Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Theatrical productions in Rome date back to at least 240 BC. However, productions were usually performed in temporary wooden theaters which were dismantled once the theatrical production was completed. In the first century BC, Rome had three permanent theaters. 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, was a three-story open-air theater capable of accommodating up to 15,000 to 20,000 spectators. The building was entered through the lower archways, beneath which were corridors and staircases leading to many different sections of seating. Internally, the theater consisted of a semi-circular auditorium with tiers, a semi-circular orchestra space and a shallow stage, which extended almost the entire width of the space reserved for seats. 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 as well as a dressing room for the actors. In an enclosed courtyard behind the stage were two small temples believed to have been dedicated to Diana, the goddess of the hunt, and Pietas, the goddess who represented the Roman virtue of duty. Performances at the theater included plays 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 an important Roman religious celebration known as the Ludi Saeculares (from the Latin "Games of the Century"). The celebration of Ludi Saeculares took place over a period of three days and included religious sacrifices to the gods, chariot races, hunting demonstrations and theatrical productions. This marked the end of one saeculum (from the Latin "generation" or "century") and the beginning of the next. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay After With the introduction of Christianity in the 4th century AD, the use of theater gradually declined. During the Renaissance, a palazzo (Italian for "palace") was built atop the ruins of the theater, in the area formerly occupied by the theater's auditorium and stage. Today you can still see part of the first and second floors of the semi-circular seating area of ​​the ancient theater outside the Renaissance palace.