The ancient greek theatre had a distinctive setup

There is no fence or entrance fee to the site, so you can visit the ancient ruins anytime of the day. The theatre of Thoriko is a short drive away from the famous temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio , so you can combine them in the same trip. Other important landmarks in the area include the mineral-extracting facilities of Lavrio, a cemetery, and a small temple dedicated to Dionysus.

The theatre of Epidaurus is one of the most iconic ancient Greek theatres. It can be found within a larger archaeological site, the Sanctuary of Asklepios in the Peloponnese. Ancient Greeks had done a lot of research on health and therapy.

Areas with therapeutic springs were the best places to build large healing centres, called Asklepieia. Ancient Epidaurus was one of these places. A sanctuary of God Asklepios, the god of healing, was constructed around BC.

The site comprised several buildings, including a guesthouse, a treatment centre, a gymnasium, a stadium, baths and a banqueting hall. The theatre itself was constructed a few decades later. It was built both as a tribute to Asklepios, and a means of providing entertainment to the patients and the carers.

Like other ancient sites in Greece, the theatre of Epidaurus was partially buried under debris. It was excavated in the s, and constitutes the best preserved ancient Greek theatre. The first thing you will notice when you visit the theatre is the amazing setting. Surrounded by thousands of trees, the location is incredibly peaceful. In addition, the theatre has some of the best acoustics in the world.

Even though the theatre has a capacity of 14, people, shows can often get sold out, so make sure you reserve your seats well in advance. Here is some more information about the Ancient theater of Epidaurus. You can get there on your own, or with a guided tour including other sites in the Peloponnese. And if you are not visiting Greece anytime soon, the ancient theater features in a couple of movies about Greece! The archaeological site of Delphi is one of the most visited sites in Greece.

The setting is absolutely magnificent, so this choice is easily justified! Apollo, the god of light, music, arts and grace, liberated Delphi from an ancient serpent, Python. To honour the liberator god, a grand sanctuary was built on the slopes of mount Parnassos. The Ancient theatre of Delphi was one of the largest monuments in the sanctuary. It was made out of local limestone in the 4th century BC, and may have replaced an earlier, wooden construction.

The theatre that has survived had a capacity of around 5, people. Every four years, the Pythian games, an important religious festival, was organized in Delphi to celebrate Apollo. The Games consisted primarily of musical contests, both singing and instrumental music, that were hosted in the Delphi theatre. Similarly to the Ancient Olympic Games, there were also athletic competitions. These were held in the Delphi stadium, which is a short walk up the hill from the ancient theatre.

The ancient site of Delphi was excavated in the late s. A theatrical performance was held in the theatre in , as part of an ambitious cultural project. However, this was soon discontinued. Here is some more information about the Ancient site of Delphi , including how to visit. It is perfectly possible to get to Delphi on your own, or take an organized tour.

The ancient theater of Dodona is one of the largest ancient Greek theatres, with a capacity of around 18, people. It is located in the Region of Epirus, a short drive from the picturesque city of Ioannina. Ancient Dodona was originally a sacred place where Gaia, Mother Earth, was worshipped.

Later, it became a sanctuary for Zeus and Dione, a goddess for whom various conflicting stories exist. Dodoni was also the home of the earliest oracle in Greece, dating from the 3rd millennium BC. This was many centuries before Pythia, the oracle in Delphi, appeared. The first priests were male, but women priestesses appeared in later years. The sanctuary increased in size and importance during the reign of Pyrrhus, the King of Epirus, in the early 3rd century BC.

Several buildings, temples and monuments were built, including a stadium and the massive theatre of Dodoni. To honour Zeus, Pyrrhus established the Naia Games. The festival consisted of athletic games and theatrical performances, and possibly music competitions and chariot races.

The Naia Games took place every four years, one year after the Olympics and one year before the Pythia. The theatre was reconstructed and restored over the years, and was used as an arena during the Roman Era. It was abandoned around the 4th century AD. Excavations in the Ancient theatre of Dodoni began in and are ongoing. Today, performances and other events are occasionally organized in the impressive theatre.

Close to the world-famous island of Mykonos , we can find the ruins of Ancient Delos. This is one of the most fascinating ancient sites in Greece, not least because getting there is a small adventure! The sanctuary of Apollo became a significant place for all Greeks to visit on a pilgrimage.

During the Hellenistic and Roman eras, the island became an important port and commerce hub. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account.

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Roman theatre. Feeds: Posts Comments. Stages: See and Feel the Difference? Updated Kristi. I went all the way back to the Ancient Greek days… According to K. Phillips the stage setup went as follows: Stage Setup The ancient Greek theatre had a distinctive setup. The skene was the place where the actors performed.

It was originally a hut, tent, or booth. It was the background for the play. The skene faced the audience. In the beginning the skene was a palace or a temple. Later on, tables were added or other themes, such as a market place or the sea, were put on the background. Most of the time there were one or three entrances on the skene Stage Some historians say that the stage was originally a rectangle, and then became a circle. Thus the stage building was normally three stories high in comparison with the two stories of the skene in later Greek theaters.

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Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Gill N. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. Learn about our Editorial Process. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Seven wedge-shaped cunei with up to nine rows of white marble seats are preserved. Each row contains four to five seats. The orchestra lies approximately 1. The vertical rock face between the arena and the circle was faced with marble slabs. Of the stage building, part of the stage and proscenium is preserved, as well as scattered architectural members.

The preserved form of the ancient theatre of Melos dates from the Roman period, although it may originally have been built in Hellenistic times. The architectural elements of the stage building are similar to those of theatres in Asia Minor. The ancient theatre of Lindos lies at the foot of the west slope of the rock of the Lindos acropolis, directly below the temple of Athena Lindia.

It is connected to the great city festivals in honour of Dionysos, the Sminthia , which included dramatic, musical and athletic competitions, processions and sacrifices. The theatre is dated to the 4 th c. BC and had a capacity of 1,, spectators.

The cavea was divided into nine wedge-shaped cunei separated by eight narrow staircases. It had 19 rows of seats, most of them carved into the rock although some were built, as were the endmost cunei and the side retaining walls, which do not survive. The staircases led to a passageway diazoma above which lies the upper cavea with six rows of seats.

The upper cavea is more steeply inclined, in order to provide even the non-privileged spectators with a good view. The seats of honour, or thrones , were arranged in a circle on a projecting band of rock.

The orchestra of the theatre is circular and also carved into the rock. The stage building was at least 19 m. Today only the rock-cut parts of the theatre are preserved: the circular orchestra, the three central cunei of the upper cavea together with parts of the two cunei on either side, and the central section of the upper cavea. The theatre of Oeniadae, built on a steep hillside, offers spectators an unrivalled view of the Acheloos river valley running down to the Ionian Sea. The monument is architecturally unique, due to the fact that the orchestra, cavea and staircases are drawn from three different centres, and also thanks to its excellent acoustics.

The east part of the cavea is carved into the bedrock, while the rest is built of limestone. It has a horseshoe-shaped plan and preserves 27 rows of seats and 10 wedge-shaped cunei, divided by 11 staircases, without an intervening passageway. The orchestra is All that survives of the stage building is the foundations of the proscenium, 26 m. Three building phases have been identified, mostly connected to restructurings of the stage building, the earliest phase of which is dated to the mid-4 th c.

The proscenium was added during the Hellenistic period. The theatre of Dodona was built in the early 3 rd c. BC, in the reign of King Pyrrhus BC , and is one of the largest theatres in Greece, with a capacity of approximately 15,, spectators.

It is set in the natural surroundings of the Sanctuary of Zeus, west of the temple. It was built to host the Naia festival, held every four years in honour of Zeus Naios. The excavation finds indicate four building phases. To the first phase BC are dated the cavea, with 55 rows of seats, the circular orchestra and the stage building. Four passageways diazomata divide the cavea into three sections of 19, 15 and 21 rows of seats respectively. Ten radiating staircases divide the cavea into nine wedge-shaped cunei.

The upper part of the cavea is subdivided by intermediate staircases into 18 cunei to provide spectators with better access, and culminated in large orthostats stone blocks on a three-stepped base. Two large staircases on either side of the cavea led spectators straight up from the two parodoi to the upper passageways of the theatre. Above the central cuneus, a wide exit, secured with a movable grille, was used to let the audience stream out en masse after the performance.

The lowest seats with the proedria seats of honour , as well as the corridor paving, were later removed when the theatre was turned into an arena. The earthen orchestra, At the centre is preserved the base of the thymele , the altar of Dionysos. The rectangular, two-storey stage building was fronted by a row of pillars and flanked by a pair of square rooms, the parascenia. During the second building phase, following the destruction of BC, the two square rooms on either side of the stage were connected by a stone proscenium consisting of 18 semi-columns.

The parodoi were flanked by two monumental porticos with twin entrances and Ionic semi-columns. In the third building phase, repairs were carried out to the stage building following the Roman destruction of BC. Some of the proscenium semi-columns were replaced by rough-built walls. Finally, during the fourth building phase, the theatre was turned into an arena.

The front rows of seats were removed and the floor of the orchestra was filled in and raised, covering the thymele, the drainage duct and the remains of the proscenium. It is situated in the south part of the city, close to the corresponding entrance.

The excavation and architectural information to date indicates that there were three building phases: Hellenistic, Roman I 1 st c. AD and Roman II 3 rd c. Of the cavea, only the seats in the central section remain, along with a sizeable part of their stepped foundations.

The retaining walls of the parodoi, mostly dating to the Hellenistic building phase, have partly collapsed, probably in the great earthquake of AD. Many of their stone blocks are lying in the parodoi. The front of the stage building has the typical scenae frons layout, with three large niches corresponding to three entrances. The three construction phases of the monument are combined in the stage building, whose walls are preserved to a height of half a metre above the floor.

In the southeast part of ancient Maronia, against the wall of the city and among its ancient buildings, stands its theatre, built on the slopes of two hills between which a seasonal stream once ran. The cavea of the theatre, facing southwest, is constructed of hard yellowish poros stone, while the stage building is made of local limestone.

The cavea was divided into nine wedge-shaped cunei, of which the first rows of seats are visible. The capacity of the cavea is estimated to have been no more than 1, spectators. Around the horseshoe-shaped orchestra ran a large marble drainage duct that led the rainwater off the cavea into the main channel of the stream. The theatre formed part of the urban plan of the Hellenistic city, dating it to the end of the 4 th c.

The rectangular stage building was constructed in the Roman period. It was divided into three parts, with a proscenion with a colonnade, preserving 13 bases of semi-columns. During the next building phase, in the Early Christian era, the theatre was turned into an arena.

The front row of seats was removed and a protective balustrade was placed around the orchestra. The monument fell into disuse in the 4 th c. The construction of theatres, an outstanding achievement of Ancient Greek civilisation, reflects the high level of intellectual, political and social development attained by that civilisation in Classical times.

Theatres were widespread throughout the Greek lands and formed the archetype of a multitude of corresponding structures in antiquity throughout the Mediterranean. Ancient Greek theatres reflect the original concept and the first stages of development of the theatre as an architectural type, as it evolved to adapt to the changing requirements of the dramatic art during the Classical and Hellenistic periods. They form the starting-point of a long architectural tradition, constantly enriched with new elements, that continues to this day.