The Great Theatre in Pompei was built in the 5th Century BC in the Greek fashion which utilised the natural slopes of a hillside. It was rebuilt between 200 and 150 BC and again in the 1st Century AD. The Theatre could hold 5,000 spectators and before the city was destroyed, each seat was numbered, and each person allowed 40 cm of space. A huge canopy of cloth was used to protect the spectators from the sun. The theatre is occasionally used today for performances.
