However, another 21 rows were added at the top, probably during Roman times. The way the medical centre at the Sanctuary worked was ailing patients would spend a night in a big sleeping hall called, Despite seeing so much prosperity in the 4. Earlier in 2020, Epidaurus was also praised by global media as the town that “beat COVID-19” since it reported zero cases of the novel coronavirus, and thus it continues every day to leave its significant mark on the world map, for a plethora of reasons. The auditorium, however, was preserved under a layer of earth. On the theatre, Vitruvius said. Though the design has been mimicked, the seats were usually made out of wood in the copycats, which is probably why the acoustics weren’t as great. In 1881, the Archaeological Society started to excavate the area and found the theatre relatively well-preserved. The Great Theatre of Epidaurus: A most magnificent structure - See 2,473 traveler reviews, 1,960 candid photos, and great deals for Epidavros, Greece, at Tripadvisor. The theatre remained in use for nearly 1000 years. The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus features remarkable acoustic technology that hasn't been replicated. The original 34 rows were extended in Roman times by another 21 rows. Musical and dramatic competitions were held in the monument, as part of the cult of Asclepius. The acoustics of Epidaurus theatre The incredible acoustics of the Epidaurus ancient theater have been a topic of discussion since the beginning of the theater’s life. “While many experts speculated on the possible causes for Epidaurus’ acoustics, few guessed that the seats themselves were the secret of its acoustics success, where audiences in the back row were able to hear music and voices with amazing clarity, unlike any other theatre.”. The Great Theatre of Epidaurus: Theatre of Epidavros - See 2,462 traveler reviews, 1,944 candid photos, and great deals for Epidavros, Greece, at Tripadvisor. Its capacity was 15,000 spectators. Chinese. It seats up to 14,000 people. The best day trips from Athens. In 1938 the first performance of … And yes, the acoustics of the theatre seem to work just as well as they did when it was first built. The theatre hosts mostly ancient Greek-style plays as well as contemporary adaptions of old plays and some musical events. Book a day trip from Athens to the Great Theatre of Epidaurus, followed by a tour of Mycenae Archaeological Site. Carved into the side of Mount Kynortio and dominating the southeastern end of the sanctuary, which was dedicated to Asclepius – the God and Creator of Medicine in Greek Mythology – the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus has been characterized as the birth place of the art of theatre, and the genres of comedy, tragedy and drama. As for its location, the word “impressive” is really an understatement. Originally, the theatre had 34 rows. According to Greek traveller and geographer, Pausanias however, the story of the Epidaurus Theatre stars long before that during the 4th century BC. In Epidaurus, we can also find the characteristic three-part structure that Greeks used to build for its ideal appearance: the concave, the orchestra and the stage building. The final wave of restoration wasn’t completed until 1988, involving roping off some of the more fragile sections of the theatre and refurbishing some of the seats. If you liked this article, you might also enjoy our new popular podcast, The BrainFood Show (iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, Feed), as well as: Your email address will not be published. The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. It is said that people sitting in the furthest back row can hear the performers just as well as someone sitting a breath away from the stage. The research adds that, “as the ancient Greeks were placing the last few stones on the magnificent theatre at Epidaurus, they couldn’t have known that they had unwittingly created a sophisticated acoustic filter. What Happens in the Real World if You Find a Buried Treasure? The archaeological sites of Epidaurus were damaged over the years by ‘barbaric tribes’, as Ancient Greeks used to call them, such as the Goths, but they were also harmed during the Byzantine times and the Ottoman Rule. I am Vanessa from Athens, and I really enjoy helping visitors find out more about Greece. Today I found out about the amazing acoustics of the ancient Epidaurus Theatre. Their goal was to create mental uplift as a means of healing for the people, who very much emphasized the importance of mental health, as a result of the combination of a healthy body and a healthy mind. Due to its excellent acoustics and condition, the ancient theater is still used today, most notably under the framework of the annual Epidaurus Festival. The corrugated surface of the seats was creating an effect similar to the ridged acoustics padding on walls or insulation in a parking garage.”, Leader of the study, professor Nico Declercq, explained that the audience could hear the lower frequencies of an actor’s voice “simply because the human brain is capable of reconstructing the missing frequencies through a phenomenon called virtual pitch.”, “Virtual pitch helps us appreciate the incomplete sound coming from small loudspeakers (in a laptop or a telephone), even though the low (bass) frequencies are not generated by a speaker.”. A study by the Georgia Institute of Technology makes the observation that “the elusive factor that makes the ancient amphitheatre an acoustic marvel, is not the slope, or the wind — it’s the seats.”. Since 1988, the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, along with all findings in the archaeological site of the sanctuary of Asclepius, have been added to the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO due to their significant influence and value to the world’s cultures and arts. It was constructed in the late 4th century BC and it was finalized in two stages. “The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is the most perfect theatre in the world in terms of aesthetics and acoustics,” stated the University of Patras in its most recent study. Basically, the steps acted as “acoustic traps,” filtering out background noise like wind and the movement of people, which is typically under 500 hertz. The performances can be in modern Greek, Ancient Greek or a mix of both, while there are very limited plays in different languages. Researcher Nico Declercq and others from the Georgia Institute of Technology conducted a series of experiments with ultrasonic waves in the theatre. Georgia Tech experimented with ultrasonic waves and numerical simulations at the Epidaurus Theatre several times between 2013 and 2019, and discovered that “frequencies up to 500 Hz were held back while frequencies above 500 Hz were allowed to ring out. The architect chose a bow shaped site facing west, so the rising sun would light up the landscape behind the stage. The auditorium was carved into the side of Mount Kynortio at an incline of 26 degrees. As Asklepios’ following grew, so too did the town. Declercq’s study also looked at the acoustics in the summer and the winter to see if there was a difference due to variations in air density and other factors during different seasons. The construction of the theatre was completed in two main construction phases and its capacity was initially for 13,000 – 14,000 people, making it the largest theatre at the time. Scientists took long to unravel this mystery. The Great Theatre of Epidaurus: Beautiful ancient theater - See 2,464 traveler reviews, 1,944 candid photos, and great deals for Epidavros, Greece, at Tripadvisor. There have been several attempts to recreate the acoustics of the Epidaurus Theatre throughout history, and none have been quite up to par. Elaborate experiments were conducted to find out how the design of the theatre helped in such perfect acoustics. The festival celebrates Greek history and plays that are over 2,500 years old. Epidaurus, Greece was a small, unassuming city in ancient times, best known for being the supposed birth place of Apollo’s son, Asklepios the healer. In 1955, the Greek government founded the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, which takes place every summer. The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is the crown of cultural activity in Greece during the summer months and remains to this day one of the most important and globally recognizable monuments of antiquity. It soon attracted attention from across the globe, and there was a call to repair any damages and put the theatre to use. But perhaps the best-known method of worshiping the healer god was at the theatre. Was the Epidaurus Theatre built according to the Phytagorean System? Playing at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus today is considered an incredible honour and career highlight, an achievement that is high on the bucket list of not just Greek actors but of the the most talented actors actors all around the world. Sound is carried easily due to the specific slope of the rows. However, the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is still considered to this day the best-preserved theatre of antiquity. The first systematic excavation in the theatre began in 1881 by the Archaeological Society of Greece, and it took several years to complete, since the whole area of the hill was densely wooded and inaccessible. The awe that someone feels once they enter the theatre is remarkable. As suspected, the architecture of the auditorium allows the sound to be carried from the stage to viewers sitting in the very back row. The Great Theatre of Epidaurus: Excellent acoustics - See 2,473 traveler reviews, 1,960 candid photos, and great deals for Epidavros, Greece, at Tripadvisor. The ancient theatre of Epidaurus was designed by Polykleitos the Younger in the 4th century BC. Some of the most famous and prestigious Greek movie stars have played in Epidaurus over the years, such as Melina Mercouri, Katina Paxinou, Alekos Alexandrakis, Manos Katrakis, Anna Synodinou, Kostas Kazakos, and of course the “national Greek star” Aliki Vougiouklaki. Way back then, Pausanias praised the ancient theatre for its harmony and beauty, and attributed the creation of the largest dome pavilion theatre of classical antiquity to its architect, Polykleitos, who also designed the whole of Asclepius sanctuary. The city of Epidaurus itself is equally important, as it has become a popular tourist destinantion over the last few years due to its coastal location and numerous tourist attractions. The Tavern of Psarras: The oldest restaurant in Greece, operating since 1898, British elementary school students ask for Parthenon Sculptures to return to Greece, 100 years ago on this day in 1920, Greece’s much-loved Melina Mercouri was born, 2020 San Francisco Greek Film Festival: virtual and drive-in event, On this day in 1982: Melina Mercouri tells the world Parthenon Marbles must return to Greece, On this day in 1996, Aliki Vougiouklaki passes away. Residents in the area also donated acres of fields so that a new road could be built to connect the sanctuary in Epidaurus with the first capital of Greece, Nafplio. It is only in as recent as 2007 the scientists claimed to have solved the mystery of this perfect acoustics of the theatre. It is built on the west side of Cynortion Mountain, near modern Lygourio, and belongs to the Epidaurus Municipality. Since the city is so remote, the stones were never looted. With the additional rows, it can seat around 14,000 people. Due to its excellent acoustics and condition, this ancient theater is still used today. Today I found out about the amazing acoustics of the ancient Epidaurus Theatre. The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is the crown of cultural activity in Greece during the summer months and remains to this day one of the most important and globally recognizable monuments of antiquity. The theatre was designed by Polykleitos the Younger in the 4th century B.C., a period that saw construction of many of the Sanctuary’s buildings. The 2,300-year-old theater at Epidaurus. Today I found out about the amazing acoustics of the ancient Epidaurus Theatre. It wasn’t until 426 A.D. that Theodosius the Great banned all activities at the Sanctuary, which saw the theatre fall into disrepair. They found that frequencies up to 500 hertz were lowered, while frequencies that were higher remained the same. The vast majority of ancient theatres are built on the slope of a hill, so that the slope of the ground favours the amphitheatre configuration of the space. Criterion (i): The Theatre of Epidaurus is an architectural masterpiece designed by the architect from Argos, Polykleitos the Younger, and represents a unique artistic achievement through its admirable integration into the site as well as the perfection of its proportions and acoustics. The Great Theatre of Epidaurus: Grecopaths Tour - See 2,473 traveller reviews, 1,960 candid photos, and great deals for Epidavros, Greece, at Tripadvisor. A team of six professors from the University of Patras conducted extensive research on the ancient theatre and concluded that “the measurements confirm the theatre’s excellent acoustics and speech intelligibility, for all the typical listener positions tested.”. They found that the acoustics are more or less the same in both seasons. The theater of Epidaurus is the best preserved and has the best acoustics of all the ancient theaters. Later, with the First and Second World Wars, all plans for the restoration of the theatre were cancelled, and it was not until the early 1950s that the Epidaurus Theatre came to life again. The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is a theatre in the Greek city of Epidaurus, located on the southeast end of the sanctuary dedicated to the ancient Greek God of medicine, Asclepius. But the cool thing about the theatre is its acoustics. There is another significant factor, however: the seats themselves. It is considered to be the most perfect ancient Greek theatre with regard to acoustics and aesthetics. 1-866-933-7368(U.S) 1-626-389-8668(Int) service@tours4fun.com Great actors have acted at such as Alexis Minotis, Thanos Kotsopoulos, Anna Synodinou, Thanasis Vengos and the famous Greek soprano Maria Kallas . The discovery of the theatre coincided with—or perhaps caused—a resurgence of ancient drama. The evolution of Graeco-Roman theatre, during its thousand years in existence, is interpreted as a two-sided problem concerning geometric acoustics and visual geometry, and, beyond that, as the first step in a more general acoustic model, which encompasses all theatre designs whose primary criteria is capacity. The Great Theatre of Epidaurus: Not to be missed - See 2,473 traveler reviews, 1,960 candid photos, and great deals for Epidavros, Greece, at Tripadvisor. The theatre of Epidaurus represents the finest and best-preserved example of a classical Greek theatre. The amazing sound produced in the theatre has been the subject of speculation for some time. Typical of theatres built in the Hellenistic period, the Epidaurus Theatre has a tripartite structure, meaning it has an orchestra, auditorium, and stage building. The Theater of Epidaurus was built in the 4th century BC by Polykleitos the Younger on the slope of Mount Kynortio at an incline of 26 degrees. The acoustics are amazing. Even individuals sitting farthest from the stage—about 60 meters—are able to hear actors without any amplification. Not only that, but it would also filter the lower frequencies of actors’ voices. Required fields are marked *. The participation of the local community in the excavation program for the ancient theatre was equally crucial, as the inhabitants of Lygourio village in Epidaurus, gave up their estates, where the ancient monuments were located, so that the theatre could be resurrected. Mystery of Acoustics of Epidaurus Theatre. The acoustics of the Epidaurus theatre (build around 400 BCE by Polyclitus the Younger of Argos) are demonstated. The city today is well-known for its Greek theatre, which is the best preserved ancient theatre in the world. Further, it’s thought now that the corrugation in the stone seats of Epidaurus is the reason for the acoustic trapping, which means it would be difficult to replicate. There, temples, baths, and athletic facilities were constructed as a means of worshiping Asklepios. “The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is the most perfect theatre in the world in terms of aesthetics and acoustics,” stated the University of Patras in its most recent study. PACS: 43.55.Gx The only theater that comes close in size is the one in Syracuse, Sicily. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. By the rules of mathematics and the method of music, they sought to make the voices from the stage rise more clearly and sweetly to the spectators’ ears… by the arrangement of theatres in accordance with the science of harmony, the ancients increased the power of the voice.
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