Ancient Greece and the Epidaurus Theater Amy Doan #8 4/25/11 Miss Rieker

Introduction: During Greece’s “Golden Age”, a magnificent theater was built onto a hillside in Epidaurus, Greece. There, dramas, like comedy and tragedy (which are still performed today), were acted out by men for 14,000 people to watch. This outdoor limestone theater is specially designed so that noises from the orchestra, or stage, are amplified while sounds from the audience are blocked out. The Greek Epidaurus Theater greatly contributed to the meaning of Greece’s Golden Age.

I. Government A. Ruler- Phillip II of Macedonia

1. Local council and assembly ran government: vote, oversaw treasury, etc.2. Phillip used Greek techniques (phalanx) against them in battle to defeat and unite Greece

B. Type of Government 1. Democracy- run by people chosen by the citizens

C. Social Class 1. Two classes: upper and lower 2. Lower: poor, landless, enslaved 3. Upper: free, rich, noble 4. Divided (into classes) even though citizens considered equal in a democracy

D. Trading Partners 1. Traded with Romania, Spain, Italy, France, Sicily, Cyprus, Asia Minor, Egypt, Ukraine 2. Traded stone vases and pottery for ivory and metals

E. Lasting Contributions1. Architecture- columns used in public buildings2. Math- ideas of geometry, pi3. Art- sculptures and paintings4. Literature- fables5. Government- created idea of democracy and citizens

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ll. Religion A. Greek Gods and Goddesses

1. Gods and goddesses controlled nature and aspects of life2. Twelve most important gods lived on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece

B. Gods and Goddesses’ Role in Daily Life1. Guided and controlled Greek people’s lives2. Everyone has a fate3. Greeks performed rituals, ceremonies, and festivals to gain the gods’ and goddesses’ favor

lll. Greek Epidaurus Theater A. Location

1. Current and past location in Epidaurus, Greece (SW of Athens) B. Date Constructed & Who Built It

1. Built during the 350s B.C. (during Greece’s “Golden Age”)2. Polyclitus the Younger built it

C. Purpose 1. Past: seated the people who were there for entertainment (dramas, contests, etc.)2. Past: used to worship Asclepius (god of medicine) and Dionysus (god of drama & wine)3. Present: entertain tourists visiting the ruins

D. Description1. Cavea (seating) width: 390 feet2. Orchestra (flat and circular) diameter: about 81 feet3. Skene (the backstage where actors changed, etc.): 64 ft. long, 20 ft. deep 4. Fits around 14,000 people in a half-circle position5. Supported by 14 Ionic pillars6. Has 13 vertical staircases7. 34 original rows of seats; 21 rows added by Romans; 55 rows total

E. Materials Used1. Local limestone2. Material and shape makes stage sounds louder and blocks noise from the audience

F. Impact on Society1. Used for religious practices2. Needed to worship Asclepius (god of medicine/healing), so the sick would get better3. Comedies (dramas with happy endings) and tragedies (dramas with sad endings) were watched in the past as in the present

G. Modern-Day Connections1. Used for same purpose- entertainment- as in the past2. Still standing today3. The Sydney Opera House is like the Epidaurus Theater

Conclusion: To sum it up, the theater in Epidaurus, Greece, was an amazing structure. Its dazzling sound effects were the key to the theater’s uniqueness. In fact, scientists today are trying to imitate the theater’s system without success. Expanded by the Romans, it can hold up to 14,000 people where dramas and contests took place as well as other forms of entertainment. The Greek Epidaurus Theater is the perfect structure for the meaning of ‘theater’.

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