On the south-eastern slope of Athens' legendary Acropolis lies one of the world's oldest theatres, the Dionysus Theatre. It is an important historical monument, as well as one of the most interesting sights of the Greek capital.
Many centuries ago, the Dionysus Theatre was the venue for the famous festivals in honour of the god Dionysus - the Great and Small Dionysias, during which the theatrical competitions popular in Athens were held. It was on the stage of the Dionysus Theatre that plays by such famous ancient Greek authors as Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus and Aristophanes were first presented to the public.
The first Dionysus Theatre was built as early as the 5th century BC. The stage and seats in the original theatre were made of wood. By the end of the 5th century, some of the wooden structures were replaced by stone ones. In the second half of the 4th century, as part of a plan to improve Athens, it was decided to reconstruct the theatre. The new marble Dionysus Theatre was famous for its excellent acoustics and was able to accommodate 17000 spectators, which at the time of its completion was almost half of the population of Athens. In the 4th century BC, as well as a few centuries later, the seats in the first row were reserved for dignitaries, as evidenced by partially preserved engravings of names.
In the 1st century AD, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero, the theatre was extensively reconstructed, including the addition of a high rim in front of the first row, which we can still see today. A sculptural frieze depicting satyrs, discovered by archaeologists during excavations, dates back to the same period.
Around the 4th century AD, the Dionysus Theatre was abandoned.
