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Primary sourceArtifact13–11 BC

Theatre of Marcellus

Augustus · 13–11 BC

An open-air Roman theatre in Rome, completed by Augustus and named for his nephew Marcellus, his first intended heir.

Augustus commissioned and completed this theatre, naming it after his nephew and intended heir Marcellus.

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Photograph of the Theatre of Marcellus in Rome: a multi-tiered curved facade of arched stone arcades with brick upper storey and windows. Columns of a Roman temple stand at right, and a dome of a later building is visible behind. People stand near a black table in the foreground behind a metal railing.
Theatre of Marcellus, 13–11 BC. Rome.

About this source

What it is

The Theatre of Marcellus is an ancient open-air theatre in Rome, built in the late first century BC. It was commissioned by Augustus and named after his nephew Marcellus.

Why it matters

The theatre shows how Augustus used large public buildings to honour his family and shape how Romans remembered them. Marcellus was seen as a possible successor to Augustus, and naming the theatre after him kept his memory alive even after his early death. It reflects the close link between architecture, politics and family in Augustus's Rome.

  • Why might Augustus choose to name a public theatre after a relative instead of himself?
  • What does the theatre's design and scale suggest about its importance in Roman public life?
  • How has the building's later reuse changed its appearance over time?

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