The Xanthus Theatre Cavea: Reconstruction of Early Empire Period

Abstract

Xanthus Theater is located on the west side of the city centre. Located between the Western Agora and the Lycian Acropolis, the building draws attention especially with its topographic and physical characteristics of the area. The theater, the first phase of which is dated to the IInd century BC, was badly damaged after the great earthquake in the IInd century A.D., and was almost rebuilt with major architectural changes and additions made during the Antonine and Severan periods. However, the capacity of the cavea decreased from 4628 to 2826 people, with the architectural changes implemented in the ima cavea, firstly the conversion of the theater into an arena in the second half of the IIIrd century A.D., and then the use of the seats removed from the summa cavea for the construction of the castron wall in the VIth century A.D. In addition to these changes, the vomitorium and the cavea support vaults in the east were demolished at a later period, which we do not know yet, and the cavea took its present form. In this study, the architectural structure of the Early Imperial Period cavea, about which we have limited information, has been tried to be reconstructed on the basis of detailed descriptions and evaluations.