"dc-title","dc-date","Name","Chronology","Redirect","Id","UserLevel","dc-creator","Collection","Type","Icon","dc-subject","dc-description","dc-publisher"
"","","Theater","","","Corinth:Monument:Theater","","","Corinth","Monument","Corinth:Image:slide  3731::/Corinth/Photos/slides/3000-3999/sl3731.jpg::1800::1211","Corinthia | Ancient Corinth | Central Area | Theater District | Theater","The theater was a place in which dramatic and musical events were staged. In the Roman period staged fighting was added. The theater has several phases. The original structure was built late in the 5th century B.C. and had permanent seats but only a wooden stage building. This was supplemented with a new orchestra and stage structure in the Hellenistic period. Early in the reign of the Emperor Augustus the building was adapted to Roman tastes. In the early 1st century A.D. the pitch of the seats was made steeper and the uppermost portion received a covered stoa. The stage building was rebuilt in the Hadrianic to early Antonine period. It had arched niches decorated with relief sculpture showing gods fighting giants, Greeks fighting Amazons and the Labors of Heracles. In later antiquity theatrical tastes changed and the orchestra was converted into a gladiatorial arena. The lower seats of the orchestra were cut back to create a vertical face separating the audience from the combatants. This barrier once preserved frescos showing lions, a bull, a leopard and men fighting animals. A scratched inscription beneath one lion refers to the story of Androcles and the lion. The orchestra was later waterproofed to enable the staging of water shows such as staged sea battles. ; In the courtyard to the east of the stage is an inscription reused in the floor. The letter cuttings were designed to receive cast bronze letters. It reads “ERASTUS PRO AEDILITATE S P STRAVIT” or “Paved by Erastus at his own expense in return for his Aedileship.” A chamberlain (oikonomos) of Corinth called Erastus was mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Romans 16.23. Many believe the inscription and the book refer to the same person.",""
"","","East of Theater","","","Corinth:Monument:East of Theater","","","Corinth","Monument","Corinth:Image:slide  3795::/Corinth/Photos/slides/3000-3999/sl3795.jpg::1800::1179","Corinthia | Ancient Corinth | Theater District | East of Theater","A series of buildings flanking the street descending the terrace immediately to the east of the theater was excavated in the 1980’s by C. K. Williams II. Two of the buildings (Buildings 1 and 3) were food shops catering to the theater goers. The north room of both buildings contained domed ovens and large quantities of animal bone were found in the south room of Building 3. They were built in the 1st century A.D. and were destroyed by an earthquake sometime between A.D. 125 and A.D. 150. Buildings 5 and 7, higher up to the south, were supported by a buttressed wall separating them from the caterers. These buildings were related to religious activity including worship of the gods Aphrodite, Isis, Serapis and Cybele.  The walls of Building 7 Room 2 were decorated with wall painting. This was of white panels framed by tall Corinthian columns, each containing a small figure of a deity including Hercules, Juno, Jupiter, Minerva and Venus.; Built in 1st century, Buildings 5 and 7 suffered the same fate as Buildings 1 and 3 but were refurbished and continued in use until they were destroyed by earthquake in the later 4th century. The debris from this quake was cleared from the street, and it was open to traffic through the 5th century.; East Theater Street and a broad decumanus (an east-west street) terminated at an open paved court east of the theater scene building. The courtyard has an inscription reused in the floor. The letter cuttings were designed to receive cast bronze letters. It reads ""ERASTUS PRO AEDILITATE S P STRAVIT"" or ""Paved by Erastus at his own expense in return for his aedileship.” A chamberlain (oikonomos) of Corinth called Erastus was mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Romans 16.23. Many believe the inscription and Paul’s letter refer to the same person.",""