ARCHIVED - Roman Theatre Museum in Cartagena re-opens from Friday 5th June

The theatre itself was built at the end of the 1^st century BC, when Rome was at the height of its power under the reign of Augustus, the man who defeated Anthony and Cleopatra in battle. He was a skilled politician who understood the value of "branding" and controlled his vast Empire by creating "mini Romes" dotted around the colonies, establishing himself as a demi-god and unchallenged ruler while the rigidity of the social class structure maintained unchallenged order.

Towns were built to emulate Rome, with the phrase "all roads lead to Rome" ensuring that everyone wanted to be someone, and climbing that ladder encouraged ambition, trade, competition and social climbing. In consequence money was poured into construction projects and the wealthy patronized public works in an effort to curry favour and gain influence.

The discovery of 28 finely carved column capitals, which would have come from the workshops of the Emperor himself in Rome, testify to his patronage of this theatre, as do the presence of lintels revealing that it was also funded partly by his heirs apparent, his step-nephews Gaius and Lucius. Gaius himself was certainly present at the inauguration of the theatre in 4 BC, and this encouraged local merchants to invest even more money into the construction not only of this theatre but also of the forum, the ampitheatre and buildings of religious and social importance.

Seating 6,000 spectators, the theatre served as not only a place of entertainment, but also as a hive of propaganda and political activity, with the local elite and prestigious judges and priests reserving the most important seating and advancing their careers by the dedication of artworks and inscriptions to the glory of the Emperor: many of these artworks have been uncovered during excavations in Cartagena, but countless others remain unfound as yet or have been lost forever.

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