The restored theater of Messene. Photo: APE-MPE./small>
Posted on 08/25/2013 5:00:41 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
The seats of Messene’s grand theater in the southwestern Peloponnese have remained empty since 300 C.E. Long gone are the days when a general from the Achaean league or the king of Macedonia would host events with thousands of visitors. After 20 years of excavation and restoration, the theater will be reopened—as both an archaeological site and a contemporary cultural institution. Excavation director Petros Themelis told the Greek publication Αρχαιολογìα Online, “We want the theater to operate for events, schools, conferences. We want all areas of ancient Messene to operate in a multifaceted manner. We want the whole city to become alive, to be related to society and the institutions.”
The original third-century-B.C.E. theater, which could have hosted up to 10,000 spectators, served as a model for later monumental performance spaces across the Roman world. After the theater fell out of use, entire rows of seats were removed for local construction projects, thousands of which were carefully reunited by archaeologists working on the restoration project. On August 3, the theater will host its inaugural event, featuring performances by the Athens State Orchestra.
(Excerpt) Read more at biblicalarchaeology.org ...
The restored theater of Messene. Photo: APE-MPE./small>
The ancient theatre of Messene re-opens
http://www.archaiologia.gr/en/blog/2013/05/21/the-ancient-theatre-of-messene-re-opens/
Messene, out from under the shadow of Sparta
Athens News | August 17, 2012 | John Leonard
Posted on 10/06/2012 9:52:36 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2941381/posts
Ancient Theatre of Messene - Athens & Epidaurus Festival 2013
Why can’t they use A.D and B.C.?
/johnny
Yes, it was a long intermission, but there was a plentiful supply of wine and crackers.
That was one long entr’acte...
They do that just to piss you off.
It must have been brutal watching the dancing boxes of popcorn and floating cups of soda for 1700 years.
And all those warnings about turning off cell phones made no sense for the first 1690 years.
Seems like the ushers would get pretty tired.
Rye crackers, with a nice olive and feta spread.
Sure, but they didn’t have car trunks back then.
What about all the lighters held high while the drunk goofs shout, “Freebird!”?
Go around to the back door where they make the deliveries, ask for Macchus, give him a dozen obols and you’re in... standing room only, though!
I think that’s where they had the original production of CATS.
They put 10,000 people on that hill? Back before there was deodorant? In the early theater, the audience stunk worse than a Bertolt Brecht play.
Or soap.
No deodorant, no soap, and high culture.
Today? Chemistry from head to toe, inside your gut and brain too, and low culture. Progress! Civilization! Thank you too much.
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