The theaters in Athens and Epidaurus have been the sites of entertainment for the Athenians and Greeks. People got engaged in dancing, celebrating wine and fertility festivals, and competing in tragedy and comedy.
The left photo represents the Theater of Dionysus in Athens. The middle image is the canal made of stone that leads to the Theater of Askleipieion at Epidaurus.
Introduction and significance:
Theater of Dionysus is an ancient theater in Athens and was built as a part of the sanctuary of Dionysos Eleuthereus. The first orchestra terrace was constructed on the site around the mid-to-late-sixth century BC, where it hosted the City Dionysia. Theater of Dionysus had gathering activities in the spring like dancing, celebrating grape wine and fertility, and competing in tragedy and comedy acting. Theater of Dionysus was created by Dionysus, who believed in the freedom of expressions and encouraged the differences of individual behaviors and interests. He wanted the Athenians to cooperate into a supportive and uplifting community. Nearby was the temple that had the holy images carried on festival days so that the god could be present at the plays. In the beginning, admission to the theater was free. Later, when the charges were imposed, poor citizens were given entrance money. Also, the theaters once had their dancing and performances on the orchestra with the altar of Dionysus, and the skene was for the dressing room. Nowadays, the new theaters are organized with the skene as the stage, whereas the orchestra is in the back for musician performance.
The other theater was in Epidaurus where there is perfect acoustics and fine structure and is still in use today. The actors could be perfectly heard by around 15,000 spectators and you could hear a sound of a penny dropping. Theater of Epidaurus was constructed in the late 4th century BC and it was finalized in two stages. The theater is situated near the ancient sanctuary of Asklepios, a celebrated healing center of the classical world. Moreover, people created votives of their healing body parts in thankful notes to the healing place and the religious center of Epidaurus, and God of medicine, Askleipieion, who was associated with the recovery of the sick.
National Archaeological Museum's sculpture:
This is a marble statue of a Nereid or Aura on the horseback in 380 BC. This was the right acroterion on the west pediment of the temple of Asklepios at Epidauros, Peloponnese. The goddess was depicted as riding sidesaddle on a horse, which emerged from the Ocean and leaped to the left, towards the pediment’s peak.
I found this statue to be interesting in a way that the horse was recognized from its mane. I could see the horse motion and the goddess’s attention to her balance and the surroundings. I like how you could see her enjoyment of being on the horseback and her joyful and gentle position on the sideways. I wonder how this sculpture was connected to the healing element at the temple of Aesclepius.
Reflection:
I found Dionysus' ideas of freedom to be interesting since he encouraged the break down of boundaries among the Athenians. He wanted them to feel comfortable being themselves in the city and be supportive of one another, so he created the theater for their free self-expression. Also, the seats made of marble at the theaters caught my attention at the beauty of the basic and natural design in ancient Greece. Connecting the theater in Athens to the Parthenon on the North side of the Acropolis, I found the new Parthenon to be a connection of history scars with the memory of the Persian war. I felt that rebuilding the Parthenon after the burning was meaningful to the Athenians and travelers as it was a remarkable artwork in their challenging history. In addition, the perfect acoustics at theater of Askleipieion at Epidaurus will inspire you to watch the performances even in the present day. No wonder that the theater at Epidaurus and its healing surroundings with water could cure people's sickness from the gift of God of medicine. People were thankful to this healing place as they made votives of their healing body parts in honor of the God of medicine and the site itself. I think that the Greeks were thoughtful in showing their gratitude for the places that transformed their health and lives. I think that this can be a lesson for us to learn to show more gratitude and thoughtfulness to people and our surroundings. Thus, these theaters will not disappoint you ever, so get ready to plan for your future visit!
Sources:
Barker, Clive, and George C. Izenour. “Developments in Asia.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 14 Nov. 2018, www.britannica.com/art/theater-building/Developments-in-Asia.
+Greekacom. “Ancient Theatre in Epidaurus, Greece.” Greekacom, +Greekacom, www.greeka.com/peloponnese/epidaurus/sightseeing/epidaurus-ancient-theatre/.
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