Theatre of Dionysis (Athens)

Theatre of Dionysis

 

Theatre of Dionysis

The Theater of Dionysus is an ancient theater building in the city of Athens. It is located on the southeastern slope of the Acropolis and is one of the most ancient theaters in the world. The theater was built in the 5th century. BC e. and was made of wood. Performances in the theater were held twice a year - during the Lesser Dionysia and the Great Dionysia.

During the Great Dionysia, theater competitions were held in Athens. Usually three authors of tragedies competed. Each of the participants staged three tragedies and one satyr drama, in a playful way, playing up a mythological plot. The authors of comedies who staged one play also competed. The results were recorded in special inscriptions - didascalia, which were stored in the Athenian state archive. The general management of the theatrical performances was carried out by the Athenian archon.

About 326-325 BC. e. the theater was reconstructed: the wooden stage and rows of seats were replaced with marble ones. Stone seats were placed in 67 rows, reaching the base of the Acropolis. The theater now accommodated up to 17 thousand spectators, which at that time was about half of the Athenian citizens.

Due to the huge size of the theater, there were no roofs, and therefore the actors, choir and spectators were located in the open air, and the stage action took place in natural light.

The first row consisted of 67 marble chairs for honorary spectators. The names and positions of the owners were carved on them. The ledge and chair in the second row is the bed of the Roman emperor Hadrian, a fan of Greek culture. Emperor Nero also performed here.

The theater was rebuilt in the Roman era in the 1st century BC. n. e., including circus and gladiatorial performances. Hence the high side in front of the first row. From an artistic point of view, the best thing about the ruins of the theater is a sculptural frieze from the time of Emperor Nero with funny satyrs.

The ruins of other historical buildings have been preserved near the theater: the remains of two temples of Dionysus of the 6th and 4th centuries BC. er, the stones of the Pericles Odeon. The ruins of the theater were discovered in 1862 during excavations in Athens at the foot of the Acropolis by German archaeologists Heinrich Strack, Ernst Curtius and Karl Boetticher. Ernst Ziller made measurements and sketches on behalf of the Athenian Archaeological Society.

Konstantinos Boletis developed a project for a partial reconstruction of the theatre. In 2010, the reconstruction process was supposed to be completed in 5 years; six million euros have been allocated for this event. It is planned to add several more tiers to the remaining stone seats, combining ancient fragments with new stone, and it is also planned to strengthen the retaining walls and other parts of the building.