{"id":4454,"date":"2016-12-21T18:15:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-21T18:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.visionpubl.com\/en\/?p=4454"},"modified":"2016-12-21T18:16:14","modified_gmt":"2016-12-21T18:16:14","slug":"theater-of-dionysus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visionpubl.com\/en\/cities\/athens\/theater-of-dionysus\/","title":{"rendered":"Theater of Dionysus"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the south-eastern slopes of the Acropolis, in Athens<\/strong>, was the big Theater of Dionysus<\/strong>, where theatrical performances took place (tragedies and comedies, which were sung and danced) in Athens during the celebrations in honour of the god<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The theater had a capacity for an audience of about 17,000<\/strong>. It was rebuilt in the IVth<\/sup> century by the orator Lykourgos<\/strong>, and consisted of a big cavea<\/em><\/strong> (a semi-circular space where the spectators sat, originally on wooden benches and then on limestone steps) carved out of the rock, a circular orchestra<\/em><\/strong> (the area for the dancers) and a rectangular stage building<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The first row of seats was reserved for those spectators who, by decree of the assembly, enjoyed the right of proedria<\/em><\/strong>, i.e. the right to sit in the front row during the contests of tragedies: they had marble seats, some of can still be seen in situ<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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Photo credits by Alun Salt<\/a> under CC-BY-SA-2.0.<\/p>\n

Statues of the great tragic poets of the Vth century, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides<\/strong>, were erected in the theater, by Lykourgos.<\/p>\n

Some alterations, such as the marble paving in the orchestra<\/strong>, date to the time of the Roman emperor Nero<\/strong>, who famously sang in this theater in 61 AD.<\/p>\n

The stage is decorated with reliefs depicting the myth of Dionysus and his cult<\/strong>: there are pictures of the birth of the god, the characters making up his attendance and gods and heroes paying homage to him.<\/p>\n

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\"Athens<\/div>\n

Do you want to know more about the Acropolis<\/strong> and the history of\u00a0Athens?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Check out our guidebook to Athens<\/a>, with detailed history and Past & Present images of the Acropolis<\/strong>, the Parthenon<\/strong>, the Propylaea<\/strong> and all the greatest historical and archaeological sites of the greek city.<\/p>\n

Check out our Athens Guide Book now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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How to get to the Acropolis<\/h2>\n