Amphitheatre, Aphrodisias, Stauroupolis

Aphrodisias was a small Hellenistic and Roman city in the ancient precinct of Caria, on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor. Located in the southern part of the archaeological site, looking southeast towards the adjacent Tetrastoon and Theatre Baths, the Theatre rests against the eastern slope of the acropolis. Built in late Hellenistic period and completed circa 27 BC, the Theatre was mostly built by C. Julius Zoilos, an emancipated slave of Emperor Augustus (Octavianus), as a gift to Aphrodite and the citizens of Aphrodisias. The Theatre underwent modifications circa 161-180 AD, making it suitable for gladiator and animal fights. The three-leveled skena incorporating Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles, being one of the oldest of its kind in Anatolia, was enlarged and connected to the cavea. A room for wild beasts was opened in the rear and some corridors were added. The Orchestra was transformed into an Arena. The Theatre’s seating capacity could accommodate 10,000 spectators. The upper sections of the cavea collapsed in the 7th-Century AD earthquake. In Byzantine times, the orchestra and stage buildings were covered with earth and built upon with residential houses.