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ANCIENT THEATRES - ANCIENT THEATRES' IDENTITY
THEATRE OF
EPIDAURUS
Information
|
Description
of the
Monument
|
Photo
Gallery
|
Scientific
Report
 |
The theatre was built in two phases, on a slope of Mount
Kynortion: the first phase is dated to the late 4th
c. BC and the second to the mid-2nd c. BC. As it
is preserved today, the theatre presents the characteristic
tripartite layout of Hellenistic theatres: cavea, orchestra
and stage building. |
|
|
|
Description of the monument
The theatre of Epidaurus stands on a slope of Mount Kynortion, near Lygourio in
Argolis, in Epidaurus Municipality. The theatre was built in two phases: the
first phase is dated to the late 4th c. BC and the second to the mid-2nd c. BC.
As it is preserved today, the theatre presents the characteristic tripartite
layout of Hellenistic theatres: cavea, orchestra and stage building.
During the first phase, in the late 4th c. BC, the orchestra, the lower part of the cavea - 12 cunei with 34 rows of seats each - and the stage building were built. The plan of the cavea was drawn from three centres. In the second phase, in the mid-2nd c. BC, the cavea was extended upwards with the construction of the upper part (22 cunei with 21 rows of seats each) and the stage assumed its Hellenistic form. With a maximum capacity of 13,000 to 14,000 spectators, the theatre of Epidaurus hosted music competitions and performances of ancient drama.
It combines an aesthetic harmony, arising from the regularity and mathematical proportion of its parts, with the excellent acoustics which allowed members of the audience in the uppermost tiers of seats to hear the slightest sound from the orchestra. The aesthetics and functionality of the theatre had already been noted in antiquity. Pausanias praises the theatre of Epidaurus for its symmetry and beauty, and attributes it to the architect Polycleitus.
The theatre was preserved in very good condition and, through the restoration work carried out by P. Kavvadias (1907), A. Orlandos (1954-1963) and the Committee for the Conservation of the Monuments of Epidaurus (1988 onwards), it has almost fully regained its original form, apart from the stage building. The monument attracts large numbers of Greek and foreign visitors and is used to stage ancient Greek plays. The first performance held at the theatre of Epidaurus in modern times was Sophocles’ Electra in 1938, directed by D. Rondiris. The first performances of ancient Greek drama as part of the Epidaurus Festival began in 1954 and were established as an official institution the following year. The theatre has also been used on occasion for major musical events.
V.
Lambrinoudakis
Professor of Archaeology
Photo
gallery
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Theatre of Epidaurus |
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Theatre of Epidaurus |
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Theatre of Epidaurus |
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Theatre of Epidaurus |
Scientific
report
| Monument Name |
Theatre
at
the
Asklepieion
of
Epidaurus |
| Category |
Theatre |
| Brief Description |
The
monument
has
the
characteristic
tripartite
layout
of
Hellenistic
theatres:
cavea,
orchestra
and
stage
building. |
| Images - Plans |
There
is
full
photographic
documentation
in
various
archives
(4th
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities,
Committee
for
the
Conservation
of
the
Monuments
of
Epidaurus,
etc.)
Drawings
of
parts
of
the
orchestra,
the
stage
building,
the
parodoi
and
sections
of
the
cavea
are
included
in
A.V.
Gerkan
/ W.
Müller-Wiener,
Das
Theater
von
Epidaurus.
Various
drawings
are
also
held
in
the
archives
of
the
Epidaurus
Committee. |
| Documentation - Bibliography |
1. E.R. Fiechter, Die baugeschichtliche Entwicklung des antiken Theaters, Muenchen 1914. 2. P.E. Arias, Il teatro greco fuori di Atene, Firenze 1934. 3. A.V.Gerkan / W. Müller-Wiener, Das Theater von Epidaurus, Stuttgart 1961. 4. A. Burford, in The Annual of the British School at Athens 61, 1966. 5. G. Forni, in Enciclopedia dell’Arte, Supplemento 1970, s.v. Teatro. 6. L. Polacco, in Numismatica e Antichita Classiche 7, 1978. 7. L. Kappel, in Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts 104, 1989. 8. P.D. Bardis, The Theater of Epidaurus and the mysterious vanishing vases, in Platon 41, 1989. K. Γεωργουσόπουλος / Σ. Γώγος, Επίδαυρος. Το Αρχαίο Θέατρο, οι παραστάσεις, 2003. |
| Location |
Mount
Kynortion,
area
of
Lygourio,
Argolis,
Epidaurus
Municipality. |
| Dating |
The
theatre
was
built
in
two
phases.
The
first
phase
is
dated
to
the
late
4th
c.
BC
and
the
second
to
the
mid-2nd
c.
BC. |
|
General Description of Monument
|
The
monument
has
the
characteristic
tripartite
layout
of
Hellenistic
theatres:
cavea,
orchestra
and
stage
building.
During
the
first
phase,
in
the
late
4th
c.
BC,
the
orchestra,
the
lower
part
of
the
cavea
(12
cunei
with
34
rows
of
seats
each)
and
the
stage
building
in
its
pre-Hellenistic
form
were
built.
The
plan
of
the
cavea
was
drawn
from
three
centres.
In
the
second
phase
(mid-2nd
c.
BC),
the
cavea
was
extended
upwards
(upper
part
of
the
cavea
consisting
of
22
cunei
with
21
rows
of
seats
each)
and
the
stage
assumed
its
Late
Hellenistic
form.
With
a
maximum
capacity
of
13,000
to
14,000
spectators,
the
theatre
of
Epidaurus
hosted
music
and
singing
competitions
and
performances
of
ancient
drama.
It
combines
an
aesthetic
harmony,
arising
from
the
regularity
and
mathematical
proportion
of
its
parts,
with
the
excellent
acoustics
allowing
members
of
the
audience
in
the
uppermost
rows
of
seats
to
hear
the
slightest
sound.
In
antiquity,
Pausanias
praised
the
theatre
of
Epidaurus
for
its
symmetry
and
beauty,
and
attributed
it
to
the
architect
Polycleitus. |
| Current Situation |
The
cavea
of
the
theatre
has
come
to
light
in
relatively
good
condition
as
regards
its
stone
material,
with
the
exception
of
the
endmost
cunei
and
their
retaining
walls.
Disturbances
of
the
regular
order
and
joining
of
the
surviving
seats
are
due
to
natural
decay
and
the
later,
gradual
deformation
of
the
original
lines
of
the
structure.
The
stage
building,
on
the
contrary,
was
uncovered
as a
low
ruin. |
| Excavations - Interventions |
The
systematic
excavation
of
the
monument
began
in
1881.
The
rush
to
achieve
a
speedy
restoration
led
to
architectural
members
being
replaced
in
the
wrong
positions
even
before
the
turn
of
the
20th
century.
Views
on
restoration
prevailing
at
that
time
directly
affected
the
restoration
of
the
west
gate
of
the
theatre,
dated
to
1907.
Large-scale
works
were
carried
out
during
the
period
1954-1963
by
the
then
Directorate
of
Restoration
of
the
Ministry
of
Education,
with
the
aim
of
achieving
extensive
reconstruction
and
architectural
restoration
of
the
monument,
in
the
form
of
consolidation,
in
order
to
open
it
to
public
performances.
Large-scale
interventions
to a
tight
deadline,
with
relatively
limited
restoration
documentation,
were
undertaken
simultaneously
with
the
beginning
of
the
Epidaurus
Festival,
only
to
come
to a
halt
ten
years
later
without
having
covered
the
whole
of
the
monument.
More
specifically,
all
the
seats
of
the
lower
part
of
the
cavea
and
of
the
east
end
of
the
epitheatre
were
restored
and
consolidated,
with
reconstructions
at the
endmost
cunei;
the
gate
of
the
east
parodos
and
the
retaining
walls
were
reconstructed
using
Piraeus
stone;
and
new
architectural
members
were
carved
for
the
reconstruction
of
part
of
the
proscenium.
In
the
event,
this
final
intervention
was
not
carried
out
and
the
stones
were
moved
to
the
Asklepieion
storerooms.
According
to
the
restorer
Anastasios
Orlandos,
who
was
in
charge
of
the
work,
the
failure
to
reconstruct
the
proscenium
was
partly
due
to
the
objections
of
stage
directors
putting
on
plays
at
the
Epidaurus
Festival. |
| Permitted Uses |
Visit
to
the
archaeological
site
-
presentation
of
modern
performances. |
|
History of Modern Uses |
The
monument
attracts
large
numbers
of
visitors
and
is
used
to
stage
ancient
Greek
plays.
The
first
performances
of
ancient
Greek
drama
as
part
of
the
Epidaurus
Festival
began
in
1954
and
were
established
as
an
official
institution
the
following
year.
The
theatre
has
also
been
used,
exceptionally,
for
major
musical
events. |
| Further Information |
Τhe
monument
belongs
to
the
jurisdiction
of
the
Ministry
of
Culture
/ 4th
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities,
while
restoration
and
conservation
issues
are
handled
by
the
Committee
for
the
Conservation
of
the
Monuments
of
Epidaurus. |
| Intellectual Rights |
Committee for the Conservation of the Monuments of
Epidaurus. |
| Jurisdiction |
Ministry
of
Culture
/
4th
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities |
|
Latitude |
23o09'34'' |
| Longitude |
37o37'02'' |
| Altitude |
0 |
|
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