Description of the attraction
On the southeastern slope of the legendary Athenian Acropolis, there is one of the oldest theaters in the world - the Theater of Dionysus. It is an important historical monument and also one of the most interesting sights of the Greek capital.
Many centuries ago, the theater of Dionysus was the venue for the famous festivals in honor of the god Dionysus - the Great and Small Dionysias, during which theatrical competitions, popular in Athens, were also held. It was on the stage of the Dionysus Theater that the plays of such famous ancient Greek authors as Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus and Aristophanes were first presented to the public.
The first theater of Dionysus was built in the 5th century BC. The stage and seating in the original theater were made of wood. By the end of the 5th century, some of the wooden structures were replaced by stone ones. In the second half of the 4th century, as part of the plan for the improvement of Athens, it was decided to reconstruct the theater. The new marble theater of Dionysus was renowned for its excellent acoustics and was able to accommodate 17,000 spectators, which at the time of its completion amounted to almost half of the population of Athens. In the 4th century BC, as, indeed, several centuries later, the seats in the first row were intended for high-ranking officials, as evidenced by the name engravings partially preserved to this day.
In the 1st century A. D. during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero, a large-scale reconstruction of the theater was carried out, including the addition of a high side in front of the first row, which we can still see today. The sculptural frieze with the image of satyrs, discovered by archaeologists during excavations, belongs to the same period.
Around the 4th century A. D. the theater of Dionysus was abandoned.
