2-370-517 - Samuel Magal/Sites & Photos/Heritage Images

The Roman theatre in Merida, Spain, 2007. View from the top of the seating area (cavea) towards the stage. This theatre dates from 16 or 15 BC. The consul Marcus Agrippa promoted its construction. It was rebuilt in 105 AD, during the reign of Trajan, when the stage facade was erected; and again between 333 and 335, during the reign of Constantine I the Great. The tiered seating had an audience capacity of 6,000. Seating in the Roman theatre was determined by one's status in society. The first rows were reserved for only those of the highest class, senators and high officials. The top rows (poorly preserved) were for the slaves and very poor. After Christianity had been established as the official religion in Spain, the theatre fell into disuse. The archaeological ensemble of Merida was declared a World Heritage Site in 1993.