The First Ancient Theater of Larissa is an ancient

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

and the largest theater in

Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...

, having a capacity of 10,000 people. It is located on the southern side of

Frourio Hill The Frourio Hill () is the historical acropolis of the city of Larissa, Greece. It was the citadel of the city in antiquity as well as in Byzantine times, and features a number of important archaeological sites. The only height in the wider area ...

Larissa Larissa (; el, Λάρισα, , ) is the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece. It is the fifth-most populous city in Greece with a population of 144,651 according to the 2011 census. It is also capital of the Larissa regiona ...

and it is a registered trademark of the city.

History

The First Ancient Theatre of Larissa was built in the center of the ancient city of

, during the reign of king

Philip V of Macedon Philip V ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 238–179 BC) was king ( Basileus) of Macedonia from 221 to 179 BC. Philip's reign was principally marked by an unsuccessful struggle with the emerging power of the Roman Republic. He would lead Macedon ag ...

, towards the end of the 3rd century BC. The theatre was in use for six centuries until the end of the 3rd century AD (or the beginning of the 4th century AD) when its operation stopped abruptly. During the first centuries, the theatre was used for two purposes: in addition to theatrical performances, it also hosted the meetings of the highest regional authority, the so-called

Koinon ''Koinon'' ( el, Κοινόν, pl. Κοινά, ''Koina''), meaning "common", in the sense of "public", had many interpretations, some societal, some governmental. The word was the neuter form of the adjective, roughly equivalent in the government ...

of Thessaly. The ancient theatre of Larissa, from the end of the 7th century BC had the lead. The ancient theatre was initially associated with the worship of the god

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...

and the performance of

theatrical Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

and

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

activities, and later with the administration of the koinon for the meetings of the city assembly, which was called

agora The agora (; grc, ἀγορά, romanized: ', meaning "market" in Modern Greek) was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. It is the best representation of a city-state's response to accommodate the social and political order of t ...

. An indication of these is a small votive altar dedicated to the god Dionysus, found near the theatre where there were supposed sanctuaries and the names of the representatives of the city-state who participated in the Federation of Thessaly and who appear in the seats of the ancient theatre. The theatre has the typical architecture of a theatre of the

Hellenistic period In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in 3 ...

, having the three basic elements: a koilon, an orchestra, and a skene (stage) with a diameter of about 25 meters. The koilon of the ancient theatre was formed by the slope of Frourio hill, which was shaped into terraces for the placement of the seats. During the reign of the emperor

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

and his successor

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

, inscriptions on their honor were found on the brims of the stage.

References

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External links

First Ancient Theatre of Larissa – Larissa Municipality
Buildings and structures completed in the 3rd century BC Ancient Greek theatres in Greece Cult of Dionysus Buildings and structures in Larissa History of Larissa Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Thessaly

History

See also

References

External links