One of the Ancient Worlds’ seven great wonders is the great Theater of Epidaurus. This theater is unlike any other theater that exists today and was built in the 4th century B.C.E presumably by Polyclitus. The exact history of the theater is hard to calculate for because of the different powers that have conquered and controlled this area of Greece for the last few thousand years. However, the theater was discovered and unburied in 1881 by Panadis Kavadias who stunned the world by proving the great theater’s existence as well as its ingenious design for perfect acoustics.
Polyclitus was a famous architect who may have possibly came over from Argos, a town not too far from the theater. He had 34 rows installed to sit audience members around the stage in an upward fashion but 21 more rows were later added when the Romans came into power. After this the theater was able to sit up to 15,000 guests who all could hear the actors and actresses perfectly without a single microphone.
This is because sound waves travel and can be bounced off of objects to increase the distance that it travels and also heighten its sound. Polyclitus, under this theory, designed the theater in a crescent fashion so that the sound waves had numerous objects to bounce from and would be heard by all that occupied the theater. Polyclitus also heightened sounds by altering the shapes of masks so that the sound of the actors’ voices could be heard louder. The acoustics are so sharp in fact at this great theater that literally a coin drop from the middle of the stage can be heard from the furthest and highest seats.
Not only was the great Theater of Epidaurus used for the dramatic arts and entertainment but it was also used as a healing center. The ancient Greeks believed that a way to heal faster over sickness and illness was to have positive energy, and this positive energy largely came through theater. The Greek God of medicine Asclepius performed many healing miracles here and was erected a monument in praise of the common ground that the art of healing shares with the art of theater. The theater remained a place well known for healing even after the silencing of the Oracles and the invasion of the Christian Era.
Today the theater is still used for an annual festival held in the spring by actors and actresses who use the theater to stage their own plays. Mostly in commemoration to the ancient days of antiquity when their Greek ancestors used the theater to entertain their brethren.
Sources:
‘The Theater of Epidaurus’ by Fortune Ihunweze
‘Mystery of the Greek Amphitheater’s Amazing Sound Finally Solved’ by ChaoTom Chao