.jpg)
ANCIENT THEATRES - ANCIENT THEATRES' IDENTITY
ANCIENT
THEATRE OF
DELOS
Information
|
Description
of Monument
|
Photo
Gallery
|
Scientific
Report
 |
Construction on the Theatre of Delos began shortly after 314 BC and was completed 70 years later. The cavea, the audience area, was supported by a sturdy marble retaining wall. It is divided into two sections, upper and lower, of 26 and 17 tiers respectively, with a seating capacity of approximately 6,500 spectators. |
|
|
|
Description of Monument
Construction
on the Theatre of Delos began shortly after
314 BC and was completed 70 years later. The koilon (cavea), the
audience area, was supported by a sturdy marble retaining wall. It is divided
into two sections, upper and lower, of 26 and 17 tiers, respectively, with a
seating capacity of approximately 6,500 spectators. Access to the koilon
was either by the parodoi, i.e. two large gates on either side of the
semi-circular orchestra, by another two entrances at the level of the passageway
separating the two sections, or by a final one in the middle of the highest
point of the koilon. The seats in the first row (the proedria)
have been best preserved and are the only seats with back support, as they were
reserved for honoured persons. The semicircular orchestra, which was the main
part of the theatre, was closed on its straight side by the skene, the
stage-building and dressing rooms, a rectangular structure with the external
dimensions of 15.26 x 6.64 m. with three entrances on the east side and another
on the west. In front of the skene was the proskenion, a colonnade
2.67 m. high with Doric semi-columns between which were movable painted panels.
The metopes on the proskenion entablature were decorated with relief
tripods and bulls’ heads. Later a portico was added to the other three sides of
the skene, the same height as the proskenion, with Doric piers the bases of
which have been preserved. The chorus moved in the semi-circular orchestra,
while the actors played on top of the proskenion.
Southwest of the theatre are preserved the remains of altars and sanctuaries dedicated to Artemis-Hecate, Apollo, Dionysus, Hermes and Pan. An impressive structure is the great cistern of the Theatre, which collected rainwater from the cavea via a duct running round the orchestra. In its roof, which was supported on eight elegant granite arches, were well-mouths from which the water was drawn.
The excavation of the Theatre was undertaken by the École Française d’Athènes in 1882 and published in 2007, in Exploration Archéologique de Délos XLII, Ph. Fraisse – J.-Ch. Moretti, Le Théâtre. During the course of the excavations, any marble architectural members obstructing the work were moved to the orchestra or into the nearby fields without being recorded or documented, with the result that hundreds of unidentified building stones from the monument are now scattered around the surrounding area.
The cavea, stage building and cistern of the Theatre are all preserved in very poor condition. The monuments must be consolidated and conserved, and the site modified to allow it to be visited while ensuring the safety of both monuments and public.
The basic preconditions for any attempt at consolidating or reconstructing the monuments are:
1. the study and identification of the scattered building material.
2. the drafting of separate studies with full documentation regarding the possibility of restoring the surviving building material to its original position, and of consolidating/restoring the retaining wall of the cavea, the entrances, the seats, the stage building and the cistern.
Photo
Gallery
Scientific
Report
| Monument Name |
Ancient
Theatre
of
Delos |
| Category |
Theatre |
| Brief Description |
The
theatre
has
the
characteristic
tripartite
form
of
Hellenistic
theatres:
cavea,
orchestra
and
stage
building. |
| Images - Plans |
Photographic
documentation
is
held
in
the
archives
of
the
21st
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities
and
the
École
Française
d’Athènes.
Drawings
of
the
monuments
and
architectural
members
are
found
in
the
archives
of
the
French
School
and
the
book
Exploration
Archéologique
de Délos
XLII,
Ph.
Fraisse
–
J.-Ch.
Moretti,
Le
Théâtre. |
| Documentation - Bibliography |
Exploration
Archéologique
de
Délos
XLII,
Ph.
Fraisse
–
J.-Ch.
Moretti,
Le
Théâtre |
| Location |
Delos |
| Dating |
The
Theatre
of
Delos
was
begun
in
the
late
4th
c.
BC
and
completed
circa
250
BC.
The
theatre
was
abandoned
following
the
destruction
of
Delos
in
69
BC. |
|
General Description of Monument
|
The
theatre
has
the
characteristic
tripartite
form
of
Hellenistic
theatres:
cavea,
orchestra
and
stage
building.
On
the
west
is a
large
cistern
to
collect
the
rainwater
from
the
cavea. |
| Current Situation |
The
theatre
is
in a
very
poor
state
of
preservation.
Most
of
the
seats
are
missing,
only
small
sections
of
the
entrances
and
the
stage
building
survive,
and
a
large
part
of
the
retaining
wall
has
been
destroyed.
Hundreds
of
marble
architectural
members
are
scattered
across
the
surrounding
area. |
| Excavations - Interventions |
The
excavation
of
the
theatre
began
in
1882
and
was
completed
in
1912.
There
has
been
some
minor
restoration
to
the
seats,
and
the
orchestra
has
been
paved
with
cement. |
| Permitted Uses |
Only
the
orchestra
and
the
area
around
the
theatre
are
open
to
the
public.
The
cavea
cannot
be
visited,
as
this
would
be
dangerous
for
both
the
monument
and
visitors. |
|
History of Modern Uses |
The
monument
cannot
be
used
as
there
is a
danger
that
the
seats
might
fall
and
injure
spectators. |
| Further Information |
The
monument
belongs
to
the
jurisdiction
of
the
Ministry
of
Culture/
21st
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities,
while
issues
concerning
its
reconstruction
and
conservation
are
handled
by
the
Committee
for
the
Conservation
of
Monuments
of
Delos. |
| Intellectual Rights |
- |
| Jurisdiction |
- |
|
Latitude |
- |
| Longitude |
- |
| Altitude |
0 |
Πάρε μέρος και εσύ.
Παρακάτω
