Theatre and civic life in Laodikeia on the Lykos

The inscriptions presented in the article, from the theatres of Laodikeia on the Lykos in southeastern Phrygia (modern district of Denizli/Türkiye), offer a very detailed picture of the civic functions that took place in these monuments. In particular, this study focuses on the texts from the western theatre, which came to light during excavations carried out in 2016-2020 and was restored in 2020-2021. They include votive and honorary dedications to emperors and benefactors, lists of names, artists’ signatures and especially dedications on parts of the structure (the thorakeion and other architectural elements) by citizens who held public office, including their tribal affiliation. The larger northern theatre, excavated between 2008 and 2009, also presents an abundance of inscriptions, either on the seating level or backrests, which demonstrate the presence of guilds as well as citizens from nearby communities. The set of inscriptions from both theatres paints a vivid and lively picture of civic life in one of the most important cities of Asia Minor during the Imperial Age of Rome. In this society, theatres truly did…take centre stage.