Dedication
Full view of Theatre of Marcellus.
The theatre was originally started with the intention of rivaling the existing Theatre of Pompey, under the direction of Julius Caesar.1 However, when he died in 44 B.C., the project was continued by Augustus. The purpose of the building was redirected to memorialize Marcellus following his unexpected death. This posthumous honor coincided with Augustus erecting a full-size statue of his nephew, and Marcellus’ mother Octavia naming a library in his honor.2
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1 Amanda Claridge, Judith Toms, and Tony Cubberley, Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010), 275.
2 “Marcus Claudius Marcellus,” Britannica Academic, last modified August 9, 2007, http://0-academic.eb.com.luna.wellesley.edu/levels/collegiate/article/50786/history.