Dionysus Theater
Theater is a concept known to man since ancient times. The Dionysus Theater is the oldest building dedicated to this art, and it can rightfully be considered its cradle.
From the history of Ancient Greece
The ancient Greeks, as you know, had a huge number of Gods who were worshipped in a variety of ways. The god Dionysus is the patron saint of agriculture, and especially of viticulture and winemaking. Lavish celebrations were held in his honor several times a year. They were called Dionysias and lasted for several days. In addition to drinking wine, small scenes from the life of the Gods of Olympus were shown in Athens at that time. Since then, scenes in the genre of tragedy and satire have been shown to the residents of the city outside the festive Dionysias. During his reign, King Pisistratus, a great lover of performances, ordered the construction of a wooden theater in honor of the God Dionysus on top of the Acropolis.
In the IV century BC, the wooden structure was rebuilt, the theater became marble and grew significantly in scale. It was a kind of open-air arena, 78 rows were provided for the audience. The first were occupied by the nobility, marble "proedria" chairs were built for them, some with names, and the rest of the townspeople could sit in the more distant places. The capacity of the theater is 17 thousand people, which in ancient times was equivalent to half of the inhabitants of Athens. Later, the theater's stage was used for gladiatorial fights and circus performances.
The Dionysus Theater in our days
The days of former greatness are over, people no longer hold large celebrations in honor of Dionysus. The theater, opened by the ancient rulers even before our time, was falling into decay and oblivion. But in the modern world, antiquities are valued and cherished.
Despite hundreds of years, the marble theater has survived to this day, albeit in ruins. In 2009, it was decided to restore the theater, return it to its former glory and reuse its stage for its intended purpose. The cost of reconstruction was estimated at 6 million euros. With these funds, it was planned to repair the walls and restore the stucco and other decorative elements to their proper appearance, and add new rows to the auditorium.
Interesting fact: the ancient theater has excellent acoustics. The audience from the back rows has always been able to hear everything that is said on stage perfectly, and today any tourist has the opportunity to test it for himself.
The renovation was completed in 2015, and during the work it was possible to preserve the archaeological and cultural value of this ancient Greek historical site. At the same time, tourists have the opportunity to feel like a resident of the old city and watch the satyrs perform on the stage of the Dionysus Theater.
