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Curtains Rise at the Theater of Messene after 1,700-Year Intermission
Bible History Daily (BAR) ^ | May 22, 2013 | Noah Wiener

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 ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: achaeanleague; godsgravesglyphs; megalopolis; messene; peloponnese; petrosthemelis; sparta
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To: blueunicorn6

And that’s why it’s an open-air theater.


21 posted on 08/25/2013 8:06:50 PM PDT by Little Pig (Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici.)
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To: PhiloBedo

Where is the parking lot and rest rooms?


22 posted on 08/25/2013 8:56:19 PM PDT by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll)
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To: PhiloBedo

Because A.D. was misused so much they just gave up.


23 posted on 08/25/2013 9:07:59 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (It wasn't the Rodeo Clown's act, it was the crowd reaction they could't take.)
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To: blueunicorn6

The audience stunk worse than a Bertold Brecht play”

No they didn’t. Even 10,000 without deoderant doesn’t begin to match the Cosmic Stench of Brecht’s plays my well-versed friend.


24 posted on 08/26/2013 10:12:12 AM PDT by buffaloguy
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To: buffaloguy

MOTHER COURAGE made me cry. Actually, it made me throw-up and my eyes watered a little.


25 posted on 08/26/2013 10:19:50 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: JRandomFreeper

The Rolling Stones played the first show there.


26 posted on 08/26/2013 10:36:48 AM PDT by TurboZamboni (Marx smelled bad & lived with his parents most his life.)
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To: TurboZamboni

“The Rolling Stones played the first show there.”

That’s funny.... Maybe that’s how they chose their name, from Romans rolling stones into place to build the arena.


27 posted on 08/26/2013 11:22:25 PM PDT by flaglady47 (When the gov't fears the people, liberty; When the people fear the gov't, tyranny.)
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To: SunkenCiv

LOL!


28 posted on 08/27/2013 5:09:02 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: SunkenCiv
Must have been some line at the candy counter ...

Not to mention the rest rooms ...

29 posted on 08/27/2013 5:16:36 PM PDT by x
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To: x

:’) They didn’t need no steeeking restrooms, they just went wherever they happened to feel the need.


30 posted on 08/27/2013 6:37:37 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's no coincidence that some "conservatives" echo the hard left.)
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To: blueunicorn6; Sherman Logan; Revolting cat!; Little Pig; buffaloguy

Not only no d.o., also no toilet paper, imagine that.


31 posted on 08/27/2013 6:37:41 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's no coincidence that some "conservatives" echo the hard left.)
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To: colorado tanker

:’) It’s nice to be appreciated. I’m definitely going to use that again.


32 posted on 08/27/2013 6:38:26 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's no coincidence that some "conservatives" echo the hard left.)
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To: blueunicorn6; TurboZamboni; flaglady47

LOL!


33 posted on 08/27/2013 6:39:48 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's no coincidence that some "conservatives" echo the hard left.)
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To: 1010RD

The mystery is, why were those ancient drunks holding up lighters, since no one in Greece even *had* tobacco for another 2000 years.


34 posted on 08/27/2013 6:40:47 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's no coincidence that some "conservatives" echo the hard left.)
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To: SunkenCiv

But then, no cellphones ringing, and no jeering of politically incorrect lines in the plays.


35 posted on 08/27/2013 6:44:11 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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To: SunkenCiv
no one in Greece even *had* tobacco for another 2000 years.

Theater shut down in 300, tobacco in Europe by 1600. So actually 1300 years. More or less.

They've had hemp in Europe for 10,000 years or so. I have no idea whether they smoked it.

36 posted on 08/27/2013 7:24:17 PM PDT by Sherman Logan
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