Roman Theatre (Mainz)

The city provided a convenient base for the defense of the nearby border of the Roman Empire, the limes, and for the organisation of military campaigns against the Germani.

Over time a civilian settlement (Latin vicus) also developed on the site, which became the provincial capital of the newly created province of Germania Superior around AD 80.

From 9 BC, military parades (decursio militum) were held in honour of Drusus at his cenotaph, the Drususstein, which was only 340 metres away from the theatre.

Accordingly, the Roman theatre may have been used for the thanksgiving ceremony (supplicatio) by the representations of the sixty local Gallic communities (Galliarum civitates) in honour of Drusus.

Gozwin writes in his "Passio sancti Albani Martyris Moguntini" "The remaining ruins of the theatre there, which was built in the Roman manner for circus games and theatrical spectacles, provided this too."

[1] In the notes of the Mainz monk Siegehard c. 1100 AD, there is mention of the ruins of a theatre in Zahlbach, which was said to have been used for gladiatorial fights and circus races.

[2] In the Alten Geschichte von Mainz' by Father Joseph Fuchs, the amphitheatre is placed on another site, betweenthe modern Innenstadt and Hechtsheim.