to be the main location for plays, both due to its splendour and its size. In fact, the site was often considered the premiere theatre throughout its entire life. Seeking association with the great theatre, others constructed their own in and around the area of Pompey's. This led to the eventual establishment of a theatre district, in the most literal sense. Post-Pompey and the Roman Empire Following Pompey's defeat and subsequent assassination in 48 BC during the Great Roman Civil War (49–45BC), Caesar used the theatre to celebrate the triumph over Pompey's forces in Africa. The Theatre was the site of Caesar's assassination as it was the temporary meeting location of the Roman Senate. The porticos and theatre were maintained for centuries. Octavian restored parts of the complex in 32BC, and in AD 21 Tiberius initiated a reconstruction of the part of the theatre that had been destroyed by fire which was completed during the reign of Caligula. Claudius rededicated the Temple of Venus Victrix; Nero gilded the interior of the temple, and Domitian and Septimius Severus significantly repaired and altered the structure. A catalogue complied at the end of the 4th century recorded that the theatre's seating capacity was 22,888 persons. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476, the Theatre of Pompey remained in use and when the city of Rome came under the dominion of the Ostrogothic Kingdom, the structure was once again renovated between AD 507–511. However, this renovation would be its last. Following the destructive Gothic War (535–554) there was no need for a large theatre because the population of Rome had declined drastically. As such, the theatre was allowed to deteriorate. From the Middle Ages to the present During the Early Middle Ages, the marble covering of the theatre was used as a material to maintain other buildings. Being located near the Tiber, the building was also regularly flooded which caused further damage. Nevertheless, the concrete core of the building remained standing in the 9thcenturyAD, as a pilgrim guidebook from that time still listed the site as a theatrum. By the 12th century, buildings had started to encroach upon the remains; two churches, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria in Grotta Pinta were constructed on the site, with the latter probably having been built over one of the theatre's access corridors. However, the floor plan of the old theatre was still recognizable.