Theatre of Dionysos

<Location> Athens, Attica, Greece

The seats for the important people.

The stone fence between the stage and the audience seats was added in the early Roman imperial period to be able to stage the gladiatorial spectacles and water battle shows. Between the stone slabs was sealed with water-resistent material.

The seats on the first row used to be 67 (of which 60 are extant), and made of Pentelic marble; these were reserved for dignitaries. Other seats were made of poros limestone. The marble seats were made in the first century BC, but thought to be copied the forth century original.

The chair at the middle of the first row is the throne for the priest of Dionysos Ereutherios.

This is the chair behind that of the priest. The lower front is inscribed, but one cannot get closer as the area is roped.




Even so, a Greek family was taking photographs cheerfully with the father seating on the throne (below). A guardian finally noticed and cautioned them in English (as she tought - what else? - that they were ignorant foreign tourists), but the Greek family did not (or fained not to ) understand her at all, and after having spoken in Greek, the father excused that he was not aware of the prohibition to entre. The Greeks, you know...

Reference

M. Maass, Die Prohedrie des Dionysostheaters in Athen, München 1972

Theatre of Dionysos Top

 Return to Thumbnails
  * Theatre seen from the Acropolis
  * Stage
  * Fence of the Stage
  * Chair
  * Bema of Phaedros
  * Theatre and the Acropolis
  * Englaved Chair
  * Hadrianic Inscription
  * Second Century Inscription
  * Acropolis Hill


"Places in Athens" Top