THEATRE

The access gallery leads to the Chamber. From the top of the stands, there is an impressive view of the site, with the city of Khoms in the background. Today, theatre resumes every year in September: at the celebration celebrations of El-Fateh Revolution (Libyan National Holiday on September 1 st), concerts are given every evening for a week.

This is one of the first theatres in Roman history. Once in the orchestra, notice the inscriptions above the galleries of access to the orchestra. These inscriptions, in Latin and Néopunique, recall that the theatre was inaugurated in the year 1-2. and dedicated to the Emperor Augustus by the rich and influential Influent Tapapius Rufus, the same one who also offered the city its market. Even though other inscriptions in Latin and Punic in Leptis are found, this is a good example of the coexistence in the city in the st century of two phenomena: the political and cultural romanization of the city and the Punic anchorage of its population.

In front of the wall separating the stands, three rows of seats were arranged for the high-ranking spectators. Five passages, the «vomitoires», were provided for in the stands, which allowed spectators to evacuate places. At the top of the stands, a little temple was dedicated to the goddess Cérès. The wall wall would deploy its columns and statues on three floors.