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ANCIENT THEATRES - ANCIENT THEATRES' IDENTITY
ANCIENT
THEATRE OF
GORTYS
(small)
Information
|
Description
of the
Monument
|
Photo
Gallery
|
Scientific
report
 |
The Gortys archaeological site is located in Gortyna
Municipality, in Crete. The Small Theatre of Gortys, as it
is known, is located next to the temple of the Pythian
Apollo and is the best-preserved of all the theatres of
Roman Crete. |
|
|
|
Description of the Monument
The Gortys archaeological site is located in Gortyna Municipality, in Crete. The
Small Theatre of Gortys, as it is known, is located next to the temple of the
Pythian Apollo and is the best-preserved of all the theatres of Roman Crete.
According to O. Belli the portico, measuring 76 m x 36 m, had an external
colonnade measuring 88 m x 45 m. From the portico there were doors opening onto
the interior of the stage (postscenium) as well as the theatre itself.
Alternative access appears to have been provided by staircases along the outer
sides of the stage, which probably led to the cavea over the parodoi.
The cavea had a circumference of 102 m with an outer wall 1.30 m wide. It was built of concrete faced with brickwork, but local stone was also used, the blocks joined by bronze clamps. The outer wall consisted of the arcade usual in Roman theatres. The arcades enclosed the stage building on all three sides. At the apex of the cavea was a wider entrance flanked by double buttresses, while the 10 remaining stoai were flanked by single buttresses 2.60 m wide. The cavea had an internal diameter of 31.40 m and an external diameter of approximately 50 m. There were two sections divided by a circular passageway (ambulacrum) 3 m wide, and with another passageway, along the top of the seats, 2.50 m wide. The foundations of the cavea consisted of vaulted structures, as was customary in Roman theatres.
The front of the stage (scaenae frons), 50 m long, was rather simple in structure, with four rectangular platforms on either side of the central doorway and columns in front. At the central doorway, the façade inclines inwards with another, lower platform and columns. This central entrance with two columns below its axis leads to the main chamber within the stage building, measuring 30 m x 27 m. These columns, like the other columns of the theatre, belong to the Doric order and are black and white. The columns in the portico were of granite. Marble was also used in marble inlay on the theatre walls.
In the early 20th century Taramelli conducted an extensive surface survey in the cavea area, and Colini undertook a limited excavation in the 1930s. Today the monument is being systematically excavated by the Italian School of Archaeology, which is also preparing a study on the conservation of the monument.
The archaeological site may be visited by arrangement with the competent Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities.Maria Bredaki
Archaeologist
Photo
Gallery
 |
View |
 |
Plan |
Scientific
report
| Monument Name |
Small
Theatre
of
Gortys |
| Category |
Theatre |
| Brief Description |
The
Gortys
archaeological
site
is
located
in
Gortyna
Municipality,
in
Crete.
The
Small
Theatre
of
Gortys,
as
it
is
known,
is
located
next
to
the
temple
of
the
Pythian
Apollo
and
is
the
best-preserved
of
all
the
theatres
of
Roman
Crete. |
| Images - Plans |
Italian
School
of
Archaeology
at
Athens. |
| Documentation - Bibliography |
1. Α. Taramelli, AJA VI (1902), 112 ff. 2. Α. Μ. Collini, Missione Archeologica italiana a Creta, Boll.d’Arte XXX (1936), p. 547f. 3. I. F. Sanders, Roman Crete, Warminster 1982, 61-63. 4. A. di Vita, V. La Rosa & M. A. Rizzo (eds), Ancient Crete. A Hundred Years of Italian Archaeology (1884-1984), Roma 1985, 59. 5. Α. Κάντα, Φαιστός, Αγία Τριάδα, Γόρτυνα, Athens 1998, 136. |
| Location |
The
archaeological
site
of
Gortys
is
located
in
Gortyna
Municipality. |
| Dating |
- |
|
General Description of Monument
|
The
small
theatre
of
Gortys,
as
it
is
known,
is
located
next
to
the
temple
of
the
Pythian
Apollo
and
is
the
best-preserved
of
all
the
theatres
of
Roman
Crete.
According
to
Belli,
the
portico,
measuring
76 m
x 36
m,
had
an
external
colonnade
measuring
88 m
x 45
m.
From
the
portico
there
were
doors
opening
onto
the
postscenium
as
well
as
the
theatre
itself.
Alternative
access
appears
to
have
been
provided
by
staircases
along
the
outer
sides
of
the
stage,
which
probably
led
to
the
cavea
over
the
parodoi.
The
cavea
had
a
circumference
of
102
m
with
an
outer
wall
1.30
m
wide.
It
was
built
of
concrete
faced
with
brickwork,
but
local
stone
was
also
used,
the
blocks
joined
by
bronze
clamps.
The
outer
wall
consisted
of
the
usual
arcade.
The
arcades
enclosed
the
stage
building
on
all
three
sides.
At
the
apex
of
the
cavea
was
a
wider
entrance
flanked
by
double
buttresses,
unlike
the
single
buttresses,
2.60
m
wide,
flanking
the
10
remaining
stoai.
The
cavea
had
an
internal
diameter
of
31.40
m
and
an
external
diameter
of
approximately
50
m.
There
were
two
sections
divided
by
an
ambulacrum
3 m
wide,
and
with
another
passageway,
along
the
top
of
the
seats,
2.50
m
wide.
The
foundations
of
the
cavea
consisted
of
vaulted
structures,
as
was
customary
in
Roman
theatres.
The
front
of
the
stage
(scaenae
frons),
50 m
long,
was
rather
simple
in
structure,
with
four
rectangular
platforms
on
either
side
of
the
central
doorway
and
columns
in
front.
At
the
central
doorway,
the
façade
inclines
inwards
with
another,
lower
platform
and
columns.
This
central
entrance
with
two
columns
below
its
axis
leads
to
the
main
chamber
of
the
postscenium,
measuring
30 m
x 27
m.
These
columns,
like
the
other
columns
of
the
theatre,
belong
to
the
Doric
order
and
are
black
and
white.
The
columns
in
the
portico
were
of
granite.
Marble
was
also
used
in
marble
inlay
on
the
theatre
walls. |
| Current Situation |
- |
| Excavations - Interventions |
In
the
early
20th
century
Taramelli
conducted
an
extensive
surface
survey
in
the
cavea
area,
while
Colini
undertook
a
limited
excavation
in
the
1930s.
Today
the
monument
is
being
systematically
excavated
by
the
Italian
School
of
Archaeology. |
| Permitted Uses |
The
archaeological
site
may
be
visited
by
arrangement. |
|
History of Modern Uses |
- |
| Further Information |
A
study
on
the
conservation
of
the
monument
is
being
prepared
by
the
Italian
School
of
Archaeology
at
Athens. |
| 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 |
