Theater Orchestra

View looking down the cavea of the theater toward the skene (the stage area). This theater did not actually have a permanent stage. In the upper right portion of the image note the remains of the Temple of Dionysus. In the upper left portion of the image note the windy road that is about 800 ft. below the theater! This theater had a magnificent view toward the west.

The Greeks preferred the view — thus the name "theater," from Greek to "view/see." Roman theaters usually had a permanent skene that blocked the view of the audience — they were very much self–contained units (compare for example the closed-in-by-the-stage  theater at Aspendos!).

For a map and a brief description of Pergamum Click Here.