Pompeii: The Theater

 And we found ourselves looking into the Large Theater, number 43 on this map, at Pompeii. It is an impressive view, but it looks bigger in this photograph than it is in person. It looks relatively small in person. In typical Greek fashion, the structure takes advange of the natural hillside.

 In reality, it seats about 5,000 people. The seats that existed here were numbered, with each person getting 15-3/4 inches of space. An enormous cloth canopy protected the audience from the sun and wind.

 The theater was so popular with residents that politicians ensured that enhancements were well funded. It had been through at least four renovations in the 300 years it was in use.

 These are stairs that lead down into the Gladiator's Quarters, where we'll go next.

 Mobs of people in tour groups can often be found in the theater - we had to wait quite awhile for one such large group to clear out before taking pictures, and still there were a few stragglers. That's okay...they lend scale to the photos.

 Smile! I should have photo-bombed.