GALLIA ROMANA

Constans 1921, pp. 298-324 ; Goldschmidt 1939 ; Stouff 1991, pp. 567-573 ; Coulet 1991, pp. 581-585 ; Gros 1991, pp. 49-50 ; Gros 1996, pp. 335-337 ; Lemerle 2005, p. 89 ; Rothé/Heijmans 2008, pp. 274-283

The edifice described by Münzer is the amphitheatre and not the theatre, which had not yet been identified at this time

« Est item Arelati theatrum olim a Romanis exquisitissime fabrefactum. Est planicies magna in girum et circulum 62 arcubus ex maximo et durissimo quadroque lapide circumdata, plena testudinibus et fornicibus ut theatrum Veronæ et Collosseus Rome constructus. Inestimabliles sine dubio opes pro hoc tam stupendo opere sunt exposite ; hodie autem pauperes homines hunc theatrum inhabitant in fornicibus et planicie casulas habentes. Et sine dubio, ut ex ruinis ubique apparet vetustissimum est Arelatum, et ab olim maxime celebratum. »
= “There is also at Arles a beautifully constructed theatre, built by the Romans. The large central space is surrounded by 62 semicircular arches, constructed with large stone blocks, similar to those of the theatre at Verona and the Coliseum of Rome. The value of works such as these are without any doubt inestimable. Today, the theatre is inhabited by poor people who have constructed their huts under the arches and on the arena. And these ruins make clear without any possible doubt that Arles is a very ancient town and was much celebrated in times gone by