Small theater of Palea Epidavros
The Small Theater of Palea Epidavros ( Greek Μικρό θέατρο Παλαιάς Επιδαύρου ) is located at the western end of the acropolis of the ancient port city of Epidauros about 500 m southeast of the modern Palea Epidavros . Since there are over 1000 inscriptions on the rows of seats, it is also known as the speaking theater . It is referred to as small to distinguish it from the nearby larger theater of Epidaurus at the Asclepion of Epidaurus .
description
The theater is located west of the Nisi peninsula, on which the Acropolis of Epidaurus was located. A boundary stone of the agora found in the neighborhood shows that the theater was in the city center. It had a semicircular floor plan, a width of about 50 m and the Orchestra a diameter of about 18 m. A mixture of gravel, earth and a type of cement served as the foundation for the benches . The bottom row of seats was reserved for the Elite and has a backrest. The benches are 0.34 m high and the rows of seats are 0.70–0.79 m apart. The audience blocks widen from the bottom to the top row from 3 m to 9.15 m. Since the area behind the top row continues to rise, there was space for more spectators. The inscriptions on the rows of seats are one, two, three and rarely four lines. In addition to a name, they often contain a title or profession and the name of the god Dionysus . The facade of the theater stage and the lower part of the stage building have been completely preserved.
history
Originally the theater had wooden benches arranged in a semicircle for the audience. Middle of the 4th century BC They were replaced by benches made from local limestone quarried in a quarry north of the Acropolis. At that time the auditorium offered space for around 800 visitors. The paths were paved with stone slabs made of Poros . Almost all the benches bore inscriptions with the names of dignitaries and residents who had made a contribution to the construction. The frequent mention of Dionysus shows that the theater was dedicated to this god, was connected to the Dionysus sanctuary mentioned by Pausanias and served ritual and religious purposes. In the late 3rd century BC The theater was expanded and now had around 1000 seats. Some inscriptions also date from this period. The theater stage had - typical of Hellenism - a two-story skene and a proskenion .
During the Roman period in the first or second century AD, the theater was completely rebuilt. The auditorium, the so-called cavea, was expanded and now had 18 rows of seats, which were divided by narrow stairs into nine audience blocks, the so-called cuneus, and now offered space for around 2000 visitors. A one meter wide walkway ran over the rearmost row of seats, and the side entrance was rebuilt. The theater stage was moved closer to the audience and the stage building was replaced by a stage display wall (scenae frons). The orchestra remained unpaved.
In late Roman times, the theater was destroyed by a catastrophe and initially abandoned. Some time later it was repaired and a cube-shaped altar for animal sacrifices was built on the Orchestra . Now it served as a meeting place for church services. In late antiquity houses, workshops and baths were built over the theater.
exploration
The theater was discovered by chance in 1970 and partially excavated in 1972 by the archaeologist Christos Zafeiri. From 1989 it was completely exposed and restored. The discovery was surprising as the theater was not mentioned in ancient literature or inscriptions. It was buried and forgotten in late antiquity . When it was found, it was covered with a 6.50 meter thick layer of stones and clay. Since 1998 it has been a theater and concert venue within the Athens and Epidaurus Festival .
literature
- Elsi Spathari: Korinthia - Argolis , Athens 2010, ISBN 978-960-8103-61-0 , pp. 190-191
- Maria Mikedaki: Τα αρχαία θέατρα της Αργολίδας , pp. 19–22 ( online )
- Christos Zafeiri: Επίδαυρος. Θέατρον πόλεως in Αρχαιολογικον Δελτιον Volume 28 (1973), Part B1, Athens 1977, pp. 83-7
- Evangelia Protonotariou-Deilaki: Το θέατρον τής πόλεως τής Επιδαύρου in Αρχαιολογικά Ανάλεκτα εξ Αθηνών , Volume 5, Part 3, Athens 1972, pp. 347-358
Web links
- Pocket guide: Small theater of Epidaurus
- Ancient Epidavros (English)
- Athens & Epidaurus Festival (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Pausanias: Travels in Greece , 2, 29, 1
Coordinates: 37 ° 38 ′ 0.3 " N , 23 ° 9 ′ 36.6" E