The Theatre of Epidaurus

A masterpiece of design

The theatre at Epidaurus in Greece was built in the 4th century BCE and later enlarged to seat about 14,000 people. Its 55 rows of limestone seats curve around a circular performance area, the orchestra. It is one of the best-preserved ancient theatres in the world.

Hear a coin drop

Visitors love to test the acoustics: a coin dropped or a match struck in the centre can be heard in upper rows. Ancient actors performed without microphones to thousands of people, so a theatre's shape and materials mattered enormously.

The science

A 2007 study by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology found that the stepped rows of seats act as an acoustic filter, reducing low-frequency background noise such as wind and the murmur of the crowd, while reflecting higher-frequency sounds of voices toward the audience. The steep slope and the open circle also help.

Theatre as everyday culture

In ancient Greece, attending drama was a major civic and social event, with tragedies and comedies performed at festivals. Theatres like Epidaurus show how much communities invested in entertainment and shared culture.

Engineering lessons

Greek theatre builders understood that sound travels best when audiences sit close and steeply above the speaker. Masks may also have helped project actors' voices. Later Roman theatres added high stage buildings that reflected sound but changed the acoustics. Modern concert hall designers still study ancient theatres, and acoustic engineers use digital models of Epidaurus to test ideas about how materials and shapes affect what audiences hear.

Visiting

The theatre is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and still hosts performances during the summer Athens and Epidaurus Festival. Sitting in the top rows at sunset during a play is one of the great experiences for visitors to Greece.

← Ancient GlassmakingThe Lighthouse of Alexandria →