The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus

 

No Stage Remains Forever Frozen in Time

Elias Martinez

A few years ago, I had visited Greece with my family for about 10 days, traveling under Trafalgar's predetermined travel plan with a Travel Director. It had already been about a few days since we arrived in Greece, but we were to stay put in Athens for a while to gather our bearings before setting out by coach. 

Our travel director knew very well what she was talking about when we approached the Theatre of Epidaurus, explaining how genius the architects were when they designed this theater as a whole. Not only can it fit up to 13,000 people, but there was something truly special about the the way it was shaped, and what the very seats were made out of.

The vision of architect Polykleitos was made reality by his hands, creating a masterpiece that's still widely renowned by modern standards. People once thought that the reason why the actor's voices could be heard so clearly was due to the location of the Theater. Since Epidaurus is located in a valley, perhaps the natural geography had a role to play in this? This was not the case, however. Polykleitos as I said, the surface of the seats is made of a corrugated alloy, allowing for the sounds from the stage to be picked up instead of environmental distractions. 

(Adjacent photos above and below taken by Members of Greeka)

I never did guess why this structure was such a marvel, but learning about this only instilled the fact that Ancient Greeks were extremely smart, and they had everything they needed to make their names known. And to top it all off, NO MATTER WHERE you were sat, you will always hear the performers' voices. And if you just so happen to be at the top, if you look straight outwards you'll find a spectacular sight, overseeing not only the whole stage but the world before you. 

Currently, the best part about this landmark is that this theater is still being used to this day for performances during the Athens and Epidaurus Festival in July and August. Unfortunately, I was never able to see a live performance due to timing. Though there's no doubt in my mind that they'll be long-lasting experiences. Given how passionate the Greeks are about their country, there's no telling how much effort they'll put in to keep their customs alive. 

"A performance by the National Theatre of Greece during the Epidaurus Festival. Photograph: Thomas Daskalakis/NTG"

Best Wishes to all Readers! Thank you for reading!

References

+Greekacom. (n.d.). Ancient theatre in epidaurus, Greece: Greeka. Greekacom. https://www.greeka.com/peloponnese/epidaurus/sightseeing/epidaurus-ancient-theatre/

The story of the epidaurus ancient theater. Greeking.me. (2022, April 9). https://greeking.me/blog/greek-mainland/epidaurus

Why Athens. (2023, April 17). Getting to the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus from Athens. https://whyathens.com/getting-epidaurus-theatre/