Theaters in Roman Palestine and Provincia Arabia.

• Author: Lynd-Porter, Adam

Segal's book provides a convenient catalogue of theaters in Roman Palestine and Provincia Arabia. The catalogue of the thirty theaters follows a short historical overview and an architectural analysis. Herod the Great and the Nabateans built the first theaters in this region. A century later, after an economic boom resulting from Trajan's policies in the region, the Hellenized cities began to erect theaters. The theaters of Herod were built without popular local support, but those of the Hellenized cities were built with local funds, out of a desire to glorify the city. Segal believes that the theaters were mostly used for mime and pantomime shows, but in a footnote (p. 12, n. 37) says "in the 2nd and 3rd centuries C.E., classical plays were still being presented in the easter [sic] Roman Empire" but these gave way to lighter fare "during the course of the 3rd and 4th centuries." Segal presents the history well and describes practices that might be unfamiliar to some readers (e.g., the Maiumas festival; the distinction between mime and pantomime).

The architectural analysis begins with a division of the theaters into nineteen urban and nine ritual theaters. He examines the theaters from a number of perspectives. First, he examines the way they fit into the city plan. The location of the theaters was generally determined by local topography, as their builders tried to build the cavea on a natural incline. Hence, only four of the thirty theaters are carefully incorporated into the city plan. Segal provides modern aerial photos of some sites, but his analysis in this section could have been clarified by the inclusion of city plans. Next...