Overlooking
the
town of Vienna along the Rhône River is the impressive Theatre
Antique,
built during the reign of Augustus (27 BC-AD 14) and still used for
concerts
today. The Roman Theater, with a diameter of 115 meters, could
hold
up to 13,000 spectators. First row seats, reserved for important
persons,
were wider and made of colored marble.
A 70 foot-long (21 m) sculptured frieze of animals led by Dionysius (the Roman Bacchus), the patron deity of drama, ran across the front of the stage.
[Fig.1: Theatre Antique at Vienne (photo: Athena Review).]
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