Ancient Greek theater

Under the title Ancient Greek Theater , a selection of 15 theaters from ancient Greece was entered by Greece in its tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage in 2014.

List of theaters

place	region	Regional district	theatre	construction time	particularities	image
Athens	Attica	Athens center	Dionysus Theater Location	around 325 BC Chr.	Theater for 14,000-17,000 spectators. 62/61 BC Addition of the Roman scaenae frons .
Oropos	Attica	Eaststatica	Amphiareion theater Location	3rd century BC Chr.	Theater belonging to the sanctuary of Amphiaraos , the god of healing . The raised stage ( logeion ) was suitable for newer plays that managed without a choir and emphasized the individual role of the actor.
Epidaurus	Peloponnese	Argolis	Epidaurus Theater Location	early 3rd century BC Chr.	Theater for 12,000–12,500 spectators. According to Pausanias, it was built at the time of the architect Polyklet the Younger (365/60 BC).
Megalopoli	Peloponnese	Arcadia	Megalopolis Theater Location	4th century BC Chr.	Theater for 17,000–21,000 spectators. According to Pausanias, the largest theater in Greece. Because of its size, it is also the venue for the Federal Assembly of Arcadians.
Argos	Peloponnese	Argolis	Argos Theater Location	around 300 BC Chr.	Theater for 20,000 spectators, mentioned in Pausanias . Renovation at the time of Emperor Hadrian ; In late antiquity the orchestra was prepared for naumachia and water features.
Delphi	Central Greece	Fokida	Delphi Theater Location	around 250 BC Chr.	Completion after 160 BC Under Eumenes II. , Inscription on a pillar monument. Mentioned by Pausanias: "very worth seeing theater." On the eastern wall, numerous inscriptions about the release of slaves.
Eretria	Central Greece	Euboea	Theater of Eretria Location	4th century BC Chr.	The first construction phase is only preserved in the remains of the stage building, the deepening of the cavea in the slope comes from the second construction phase (3rd century). A special feature are the tracks of a rolling platform ( Ekkyklema ).
Larisa	Thessaly	Larisa	Larissa I Theater Location	late 3rd century BC Chr.	After removing the overbuilding, this older Larissa theater is clearly visible again.
Delos	South Aegean	Mykonos	Delos Theater Location	before 246 BC Chr.	Theater for 5,500 spectators. Stage building as a rectangular hall supported by pillars.
Milos	South Aegean	Milos	Melos Theater Location		Hellenistic theater, rebuilt in Roman times, up to eight rows of marble seats still exist. Seat inscriptions, including for the "hymn singers".
Lindos	South Aegean	Rhodes	Lindos Theater Location		Hellenistic theater, the seating steps cut into the rock have been preserved.
Iniades	West Greece	Aetolia-Acarnania	Oeniadai Theater Location		Hellenistic theater with benches carved into the rock, some with name inscriptions.
Dodona	Epirus	Ioannina	Theater of Dodona Location	3rd century BC Chr.	Theater for 14,000-18,000 spectators. One of the earliest examples of a raised stage with doorways ( thyromata ). Converted into an arena during the Roman Empire.
Aptera	Crete	Chania	Aptera Theater Location		Probably Hellenistic theater made of ashlar masonry, additions with bricks. The theater was connected to a temple.
Maronia	East Macedonia and Thrace	Rodopi	Maronia Theater Location		Lower 3 rows of seats retained. The orchestra was converted into a Kolymbethra or arena during the imperial era.

Justification of the outstanding universal meaning

→ Main article : Theater of ancient Greece

The theater was a special line of ancient Greek culture. It was architecturally adapted to changing requirements from the classical to the Hellenistic to the Roman period, in accordance with the developing drama literature.

To justify the outstanding universal importance of the ancient Greek theater according to the criteria for the UNESCO World Heritage , the following is cited:

• The ancient theaters are functional buildings, they are the first examples of a type of architecture that still exists today (criterion i).
• Theaters were already regarded by Pausanias as the epitome of Greek civilization (criterion ii).
• The seating arrangement in the theater reflects the social order and can therefore be seen as a visible expression of democracy (criterion iii).
• Theaters are technical masterpieces in terms of their acoustics (criterion iv).
• You make optimal use of the natural conditions, such as the location on a slope (criterion v).
• In such theaters, the works of Aeschylus , Sophocles , Euripides and Aristophanes were performed for the first time and are still performed today (criterion vi).

Web links

• UNESCO World Heritage Center, Tentative Lists: Ancient Greek Theaters

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ancient Greek Theaters. In: whc.unesco.org. UNESCO World Heritage Center, accessed June 8, 2020 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b} Direction State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: ATHEN, Dionysos Theater
3. ↑ ^{a b} Directorate State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: OROPOS, Amphiaraos-Heiligtum
4. ^ ^{A b} Direction State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: Epidauros, Theater
5. ^ ^{A b} Direction State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: MEGALOPOLIS
6. ^ ^{A b} Directorate State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: ARGOS, large theater
7. ↑ ^{a b c} Direction State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: DELPHI, Apollon-Heiligtum
8. ↑ ^{a b} Directorate State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: ERETRIA, Euböa
9. ^ ^{A b} Direction State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: Larissa, first theater
10. ^ ^{A b} Direction State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: DELOS, Städtisches Theater
11. ^ Directorate State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: MELOS
12. ^ Directorate State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: LINDOS
13. ^ Directorate State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: OINIADAI
14. ^ ^{A b} Direction State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: DODONA (Epirus) Zeus sanctuary
15. ^ Directorate State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: APTERA, Palaiokastro
16. ^ Directorate State Archeology Mainz, Theatrum: MARONEIA