Heraclea Lyncestis - Roman Theater

Roman Theater

The Roman emperor Hadrian built the theater in the center of the town, on a hill, when many buildings in the roman province of Macedonia were being restored. It began being used during the reign of Antoninus Pius. Discovered in 1931, a small bone ticket for a seat in the 14th (out of 20) row is the earliest known proof of the theater’s existence. The theatre itself wasn’t discovered until 1968. Inside the theater there were three animal cages and in the western part a tunnel. The theater went out of use during the late 4th century AD, when gladiator fights in the Roman Empire were banned, due to the spread of Christianity, the formulation of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the abandonment of, what was then perceived as, pagan rituals and entertainment.