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Built in the era of emperor Augustus two millennia ago, Cartagena's theatre was a minor wonder of the ancient world and a major feat of Roman engineering and construction. An entire hillside was excavated to form the bowl of an amphitheatre capable of seating 6,000 people, its graceful tiers inscribing a perfect semicircle on the steep terrain. An ornate proscenium was equipped for the presentation of elaborate theatrical spectacles (evidence shows that Roman audiences enjoyed drama, mime and pantomime). To the rear of the stage was a huge double porticoed gallery surrounding a central garden, where patrons strolled, chatted and took refreshment during interludes. Poised on the Cerro de la Concepcion, the hill overlooking the harbour, the theatre...
