The decadence of the Theatre

In the 4th century AD, Roman civilisation experienced profound changes with the triumph of Christianity. The Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 337 and, in 391 Theodosius made it the official religion. Pagan worship and entertainment were quickly banned. Temples were demolished or reconverted into churches. Amphitheatres, circuses and theatres were closed and neglected, and in some cases looted and used as stone quarries. The town of Orange met the same fate. It became a bishopric, one of its temples was destroyed and replaced by a church. Although it remained standing, the theatre was closed.

Throughout the 5th century, Barbarians poured into the Empire. In 412 the Visigoths took Orange, looting and sacking the monuments. The Roman Theatre did not escape the demolition. Stone from the terraces was used to make sarcophagi, decorations from the stage wall were torn down, the statue of the Emperor was destroyed and the theatre roof was burnt.
These invasions and the political chaos of the Empire quickened the disintegration of the Roman world and marked the end of the power of Roman civilisation and its rituals.