here at the theater of epidaurus, where greek dramas still are presented 24 centuries later, we get an excellent view of the round orchestra and of the parodoi. through the parodoi, the audiences entered and also the chorus when time came for the play to begin. the chorus, usually numbering 12 or 15, was rigorously trained and rehearsed for its role by the choragus. it explained in a prologue the drama's action, set the mood, introduced the actors, sang, danced and served as the voice of the audience. wherever the greek influence was felt, theaters were built. when rome came into contact with the greek world, romans, too, began building theaters. at the height of the roman empire, practically every town, even small towns, had its theater. often, these were quite imposing structures built at imperial expense or donated by some wealthy citizen. pompeii, the town that was buried under volcanic ash and partially preserved, had two handsome theaters, a small one for mimes, poetry reading and musical shows, and a large one for dramatic performances and spectacles. by this time, the romans ha