THE THEATER OF DIONYSUS AT ATHENS
The Theater of Dionysus at Athens is the most prominent part of the Sanctuary of Dionysus Eleutherios, which lies on the southern slope of the Acropolis. It was remodeled many times, and sadly, only part of the theater remains today. The second most important festival in Athens, the City Dionysia, was held in this theater in the mid-sixth century BC. The Theater of Dionysus is also the ancient birthplace of modern theater.
THE PERICLEAN RENOVATION
The first renovation of the theater is attributed to Pericles, expanding the seating to fit 17,000 people in the fifth century. However, according to Dr, Thomas, my professor, "historians and archeologists argue about whether Pericles himself had a hand in the expansion of the theater." Pericles oversaw much of the construction in Athens during its golden age in the late fifth century. It would make sense that he oversaw the renovation of the theater as well, but it is uncertain. This is interesting to me because it makes me question other construction projects as well, inside and outside of Athens. Was Pericles really not involved in the project? If so, were there other instances where a project was attributed to someone who had no hand in the work?
THE ANCIENT THEATER
The Theater of Dionysus makes me feel curious. Unlike the Theater at Epidauros, the Theater at Athens was partially destroyed. Therefore, I am left to wonder how the site looked in its prime. Though there is evidence of how the site used to look, it is not the same as being able to see it in person. I would like to know how the acoustics sounded in its complete form.
INDIVIDUATION VS. BLURRING THE LINES
In his book, The Birth of Tragedy, Frederich Nietzsche discusses the differences that the Greek gods Apollo and Dionysus held in terms of Greek theater. While Apollo emphasized individuation, Dionysus wanted the individual to break away and blur the lines of what made them an individual. I think that this is dangerous for society. For the Greeks, it was helpful. The mentality to blur the lines of the norm likely influenced the growth of Athens as its own unique city, and the prominence of theater during this time likely made this mentality popular. However, I believe that blurring the lines of the individual too much could bring chaos to society. Individuals have certain roles to fill in the city, and blurring those lines could make the city weak. This reminds me of Plato's Republic, when Socrates describes justice as everyone in the city doing what they are meant to do, or "doing what's properly one's own" (Plato 433a).
Full Name: The Theater of Dionysus Eleutherios
Meaning: The Theater of Dionysus the Liberator
THE THEATER AT EPIDAUROS
There are theaters all over Greece, and each one of them was dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility, ecstasy, and theater, or more broadly, the god of "letting oneself go." The original Theater at Epidauros remains intact today, as opposed to the Theater at Athens, which is incomplete. There are still performances held in the Theater as well.
I would like to know more about the acoustics of the Theater at Epidauros. Built at the end of the fourth century BC, and designed by Polycleitus, the Theater at Epidauros has perfect acoustics. It is amazing how the Greeks could construct this theater so well without the aid of modern technology. Did Polycleitus base it on the design of an existing theater? Did he build a model first to test the acoustics before building it full-size? Did other theaters have acoustics as good as this one? Did performers want to perform at Epidauros over other theaters?