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ANCIENT THEATRES - ANCIENT THEATRES' IDENTITY
THEATRE OF MACYNIA
Information
|
Description
of the
Monument
|
Photo
Gallery
|
Scientific
Report
Information
 |
The theatre of ancient Macynia is situated at the “Paliokastro” site of the Municipal Department of Macynia, Nafpaktia Municipality. The theatre has a single cuneus and may also have been used as a bouleuterion. It has an arc-shaped orchestra without a gutter and a narrow cavea without a passageway, with 14 tiers of seats in total. |
|
|
|
Description
of the monument
The theatre of
ancient Macynia is situated at the “Paliokastro” site of the Municipal
Department of Macynia, Nafpaktia Municipality.
The theatre has a single cuneus and may also have been used as a bouleuterion (council-house). It has an arc-shaped orchestra without a gutter and a narrow cavea without a passageway, with 14 tiers of seats in total. Access staircases in the cavea were not considered necessary for such a small theatre.
Officials or guests of honour were seated in the north part of the orchestra. There the arched outline of the cavea is vertically interrupted by three straight, parallel tiers of seats, with an interval of about a metre between the first and second, and transverse slabs serving as seat backs on the third, northernmost tier, showing that these were definitely the seats of honour (proedriae). This meant that the officials could see not only the events on stage but also the audience. In front of the seats of honour is a stone throne intended for the guest of honour.
On the east side of the theatre is the stage building, which, however, has collapsed due to the steep incline of the slope on which it was built, while it is also possible that the building material was gradually removed and reused in later structures. A few foundation stones which survive, through not always in their original position, allow a tentative reconstruction of the stage building. Its dimensions are estimated at 21.60 m. x 9.70 m. The foundations of the narrow theatre parodoi are also visible. No parascenia or other elements of the theatre can be seen, except for part of an angled retaining wall along its south side.
The friable sandstone of which the theatre is built makes the thorough cleaning and conservation of its seats and other functional parts a matter of urgency. The theatre was excavated in 1988 and 1989 due to illegal excavation activity observed there. The only permitted use is a simple visit.
L.
Kolonas
Archaeologist
Photo
Gallery of
the Monument
 |
Aerial photograph of the acropolis of ancient Macynia, also showing the theatre |
 |
Aerial photograph of the Theatre of Macynia |
 |
View of the seats of the Theatre of Macynia from the SE |
 |
Topographical plan of the acropolis of ancient Macynia, also noting the location of the theatre |
Scientific Report
| Monument Name |
Theatre
of
Macynia |
| Category |
Theatre |
| Brief Description |
The
theatre
of
ancient
Macynia
is
situated
at
the
“Paliokastro”
site
of
the
Municipal
Department
of
Macynia,
Antirrio
Municipality.
The
theatre
has
a
single
cuneus
and
may
also
have
been
used
as a
bouleuterion
(council-house).
It
has
an
arc-shaped
orchestra
without
a
gutter
and
a
narrow
cavea
without
a
passageway,
with
14
tiers
of
seats
in
total. |
| Images - Plans |
- |
| Documentation - Bibliography |
-
Λ.
Κολώνας,
Μακύνεια,
ΑΔ
48
(1993),
141-2
-
Λ.
Κολώνας,
Η
Μακύνεια
μέσα
από
τις
πρόσφατες
αρχαιολογικές
έρευνες,
Ναυπακτιακά,
vol.
6,
1992-93,
Athens
1994,
pp.
79-95
-
St.
Steiros
- P.
Psimoulis
&
Chr.
Kolonas,
The
Theatre
of
Aitolian
Makyneia,
BSA
100
(2005) |
| Location |
Municipal
Department
of
Macynia,
Municipality
of
Nafpaktia,
“Paliokastro”
site. |
| Dating |
- |
|
General Description of Monument
|
The theatre of ancient Macynia is situated at the “Paliokastro” site of the Municipal Department of Macynia, Antirrio Municipality. The theatre has a single cuneus and may also have been used as a bouleuterion (council-house). It has an arc-shaped orchestra without a gutter and a narrow cavea without a passageway, with 14 tiers of seats in total. Access staircases in the cavea were not considered necessary for such a small theatre. Officials or guests of honour were seated in the north part of the orchestra. There the arched outline of the cavea is vertically interrupted by three straight, parallel tiers of seats, with an interval of about a metre between the first and second, and transverse slabs serving as seat backs on the third, northernmost tier, showing that these were definitely the seats of honour (proedriae). This meant that the officials could see not only the events on stage but also the audience. In front of the seats of honour is a stone throne intended for the guest of honour. On the east side of the theatre is the stage building, which, however, has collapsed due to the steep incline of the slope on which it was built, while it is also possible that the building material was gradually removed and reused in later structures. A few foundation stones which survive, through not always in their original position, allow a tentative reconstruction of the stage building. Its dimensions are estimated at 21.60 m. x 9.70 m. The foundations of the narrow theatre parodoi are also visible. No parascenia or other elements of the theatre can be seen, except for part of an angled retaining wall along its south side. |
| Current Situation |
The
friable
sandstone
of
which
the
theatre
is
built
makes
the
thorough
cleaning
and
conservation
of
its
seats
and
other
functional
parts
a
matter
of
urgency. |
| Excavations - Interventions |
The
theatre
was
excavated
in
1988
and
1989
due
to
illegal
excavation
activity
observed
there.
|
| Permitted Uses |
Simple
visit. |
|
History of Modern Uses |
- |
| Further Information |
The
monument
belongs
to
the
jurisdiction
of
the
Ministry
of
Culture
and
the
archaeological
service
responsible
for
Aetoloacarnania
Prefecture
(36th
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities
of
Messolonghi),
while
the
publication
rights
are
held
by
Lazaros
Kolonas,
General
Director
of
Antiquities
and
Cultural
Heritage
of
the
Ministry
of
Culture. |
| Intellectual Rights | The monument belongs to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture and the archaeological service responsible for Aetoloacarnania Prefecture (36th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of Messolonghi). |
| Jurisdiction |
36th
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities
of
Messolonghi. |
|
Latitude |
38°21'21.54"N |
| Longitude |
21°43'28.81"E |
| Altitude |
0 |
