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ANCIENT THEATRES - ANCIENT THEATRES' IDENTITY
ROMAN
THEATRE OF
HERSONISSOS
Information
|
Description
of the
monument
|
Photo
Gallery
|
Scientific
report
 |
The archaeological site of Hersonissos is located in Hersonissos Municipality. At the edge of the modern town of Limenas Hersonissou, on the side nearest Heraklion, is the ancient theatre of Hersonissos, built in the 1st c. AD. |
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|
|
Description of the Monument
The
archaeological site of Hersonissos is located in Hersonissos Municipality. At
the edge of the modern town of Limenas Hersonissou, on the side nearest
Heraklion, is the ancient theatre of Hersonissos, built in the 1st c.
AD.
Information on the shape of the theatre is provided by O. Belli, who drew the theatre, and Sanders.
The portico was unique, having curved ends with an internal colonnade. It was 83 m long and 30 m wide. Although there was an entrance from the portico to the postscenium (the area behind the stage) and thence to the stage, the main access to the theatre was by the staircases leading to the parodoi and thence to the cavea, which had only a single zone of seats. Around the outer side of the retaining wall of the cavea ran the stoa usual in Roman theatres.
The front of the stage (scaenae frons), 43 m long, is rather plain, with a central doorway and small semicircular niches and half-columns. The central entrance leads to the postscenium, which had four columns, and from there staircases led to side-rooms and the parodos stairs.
The surviving feature of the theatre is the retaining wall of the cavea, made of concrete 0.75 m thick and approximately 3 m high. The inner diameter of the theatre is 33.25 m, while opposite are the 14 bases of the outer arches of the building, which had a minimum width of 2.00 m and a depth of 2.20 m.
The following sections of the theatre were discovered during the 1995 test excavation:
- Part of the retaining wall of the cavea, which is built of stones and concrete, faced with square brick slabs and supported by at least 10 buttresses and pillars.
- Part of a staircase - in the retaining wall of the cavea - which led to the upper rows of seats of the cavea (vomitorium).
- Part of the substrate of the seats of the cavea, consisting of earth and stones.
- Part of the rock-cut steps in its centre.
- The outer west wall of the stage and part of what is probably the parascenium.
- Part of the paved floor of the orchestra.
In 2008 a geophysics study was carried out and the ancient theatre was mapped, while minor conservation work and cleaning was undertaken by the 23rd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities.
Maria
Bredaki
Archaeologist
Photo
Gallery
 |
Retaining wall of the cavea and substrate |
 |
Plan by Οnorio Belli |
 |
Plan |
 |
Front of the stage building |
Scientific
report
| Monument Name |
Roman
Theatre
of
Hersonissos |
| Category |
Theatre |
| Brief Description |
The
archaeological
site
of
Hersonissos
is
located
in
Hersonissos
Municipality.
At
the
edge
of
the
modern
town
of
Limenas
Hersonissou,
on
the
side
nearest
Heraklion,
is
the
ancient
theatre
of
Hersonissos,
built
in
the
1st
c.
AD. |
| Images - Plans |
23rd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities. |
| Documentation - Bibliography |
1. I. F. Sanders, Roman Crete, Warminster 1982, 59-61. 2. Στ. Μανδαλάκη, «Αρχαιολογικές Ειδήσεις: Νομός Ηρακλείου, Επαρχία Πεδιάδος, Χερσόνησος. Θέατρο», Κρητική Εστία Περ. Δ΄ - Vol. 7 (1999), 244-258. |
| Location |
The
archaeological
site
of
Hersonissos
is
located
in
Hersonissos
Municipality. |
| Dating |
Built
in
the
1st
c.
AD. |
|
General Description of Monument
|
At
the
edge
of
the
modern
town
of
Limenas
Hersonissou,
on
the
side
nearest
Heraklion,
a
turning
off
the
main
road
to
the
left
(north)
leads
to
the
ancient
theatre
of
Hersonissos
a
short
distance
away.
Information
on
the
shape
of
the
theatre
is
provided
by
O.
Belli,
who
drew
the
theatre,
and
Sanders.
The
portico
was
unique,
having
curved
ends
with
an
internal
colonnade.
It
was
83 m
long
and
30 m
wide.
Although
there
was
an
entrance
from
the
portico
to
the
postscenium
(the
area
behind
the
stage)
and
thence
to
the
stage,
the
main
access
to
the
theatre
was
by
the
staircases
leading
to
the
parodoi
and
thence
to
the
cavea,
which
had
only
a
single
zone
of
seats.
Around
the
outer
side
of
the
retaining
wall
of
the
cavea
ran
the
stoa
usual
in
Roman
theatres.
The
front
of
the
stage
(scaenae
frons),
43 m
long,
is
rather
plain,
with
a
central
doorway
and
small
semicircular
niches
and
half-columns.
The
central
entrance
leads
to
the
postscenium,
covering
an
area
of
18
sq.
m,
containing
four
columns.
From
there
staircases
led
to
side
rooms
and
thence
to
the
parodos
stairs.
The
basic
surviving
feature
of
the
theatre
is
the
retaining
wall
of
the
cavea,
made
of
concrete
0.75
m
thick
and
up
to 3
m
high.
The
inner
diameter
of
the
theatre
is
33.25
m,
while
opposite
are
the
14
bases
of
the
outer
arches
of
the
building,
which
had
a
minimum
width
of
2.00
m
and
a
depth
of
2.20
m. |
| Current Situation |
Minor
conservation
work
and
cleaning
by
the
23rd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities. |
| Excavations - Interventions |
The
following
sections
of
the
theatre
were
discovered
during
the
1995
test
excavation
(4
sections
were
made,
at
the
north
and
south
ends
of
the
stage
wall,
in
the
orchestra
of
the
theatre
and
in
the
centre
of
the
cavea
respectively):
Part
of
the
retaining
wall
of
the
cavea,
0.90
m
wide
and
preserved
height
up
to 2
m.
It
is
built
of
stones
and
concrete
and
faced
with
square
brick
slabs.
It
is
supported
by
at
least
10
buttresses
and
pillars.
Part
of a
staircase
- in
the
retaining
wall
of
the
cavea
-
which
led
to
the
upper
rows
of
seats
of
the
cavea
(vomitorium).
Part
of
the
substrate
of
the
seats
of
the
cavea,
consisting
of
earth
and
stones.
Part
of
the
rock-cut
steps
in
the
centre
of
the
cavea
-
their
flat
surface
is
covered
with
small
slab-shaped
stones
and
concrete
(according
to
Xanthoudides
[Archaeologikon
Deltion
1918],
the
stone
seating
covering
the
steps
was
removed
in
the
early
20th
century).
The
outer
west
wall
of
the
stage
and
part
of
what
is
probably
the
parascenium.
Part
of
the
paved
floor
of
the
orchestra,
although
the
floor
was
not
completely
paved.
In
the
centre
the
floor
is
made
of
earth
and
concrete.
In
2008
a
geophysics
study
was
carried
out
and
the
ancient
theatre
was
mapped.
A
limited
test
excavation
was
carried
out
in
1995
by
the
23rd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities
and
archaeologist
Stella
Mandalaki.
In
2008
the
Foundation
for
Research
and
Technology-Hellas
(FORTH)
carried
out
a
geophysics
study
and
mapped
the
ancient
theatre,
following
the
collaboration
of
the
Municipality
of
Hersonissos
and
Mayor
Spyros
Danellis
with
the
23rd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities
under
the
responsibility
of
its
Director
Μ.
Bredaki. |
| Permitted Uses |
- |
|
History of Modern Uses |
- |
| Further Information |
- |
| Intellectual Rights |
- |
| Jurisdiction |
The
monument
belongs
to
the
jurisdiction
of
the
Ministry
of
Culture
/ 23rd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities. |
|
Latitude |
- |
| Longitude |
- |
| Altitude |
- |
| Google Earth |
Link |
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