Reading Response: Roman Temple

The Roman Theater at Aspendos


The Roman's first theaters were intended to be temporary, and were constructed using mainly wood. The Romans were skeptical of theaters because of religious reasons and it was later when they began to build permanent theaters, hollowed out of the land's natural curves.    

       

I find it intriguing that, despite the the distrust between the the church and the theater, both share a similar structure formation. The church employs the circle because of its reference to a holy space, but how did it come to be used in a space like this? It is probably due to the functional aspects of the set-up, like the abundant seating, good acoustics, and central focus point. I think it's am interesting link between the two different realms. 

                                                            
                                                  
Something I wasn't aware of is that the Romans could provide coverage 
to their theaters with awnings, called velaria, held in place be poles, to shield the audience from rain and harsh sunlight.