Eretria (modern Eretria, Greece)

331-411 BCE (Bulle/Fiechter)

Cavea Width: 89 meters
Orchestra Width: 22 meters

Eretria (modern Eretria, Greece): The Theatre at Eretria (modern Eretria, Greece): south-facing cavea with a diameter of 91 meters; 25 rows of seats (8 surviving) divided into 11 cunei by 12 staircases with no praecinctio; built on a flat site with an artificial embankment; seating capacity of approximately 6,000 spectators; circular orchestra with a diameter of 22 meters featuring an underground passage (Charonian steps) connecting to the center; constructed in three phases (first cavea 331-411 BCE according to Bulle/Fiechter, second cavea 320 BCE according to Dilke, scene building rebuilt in 198 BCE); current condition is poor with only about one-fifth of the original cavea remaining and most stone seats looted, while the stage building is reduced to its lowest limestone courses (Sear 398; Kolonia).

The Helenistic Theatre at Eretria (modern Eretria, Greece)

Introduction

The ancient theatre of Eretria is located on the southwestern coast of the island of Euboea (modern Evia) in Greece. Unlike many ancient Greek theatres that utilized natural hillsides, Eretria’s theatre was constructed on flat terrain with an artificial embankment supporting the seating area (Kolonia; Sear 398).  The theatre was positioned centrally within the ancient city’s cultural area, between the western gate, the stadium, and the upper gymnasium, with the temple of Dionysos located at its southwest end (Wikivoyage). The Eretria theatre had a capacity of approximately 6,000 spectators (Sear 398; Kolonia)

Historical Context

Eretria was an important commercial center with a strategic harbor that facilitated maritime trade throughout the Aegean Sea (Capps 339). As a powerful city-state, Eretria played a notable role in Greek politics and was involved in conflicts including the Persian Wars, during which the city was destroyed by Darius in 490 BCE (Britannica).

The theatre’s construction began in the 5th century BCE, likely following the Persian invasion and subsequent rebuilding of the city. Its first formal building phase is dated to the last third of the 4th century BCE (331-411 BCE according to Bulle/Fiechter) (Sear 398). A second significant phase is dated to approximately 320 BCE (Dilke) or around 300 BCE based on an inscription from the reign of Demetrios Poliorcetes (Kolonia). The theatre saw a third and final major renovation phase after 198 BCE, when the Romans destroyed Eretria and the scene building was subsequently rebuilt and significantly extended using lower quality materials (Sear 398; Kolonia). During the Roman period, the theatre was also adapted for gladiatorial combats, as evidenced by the addition of a protective grille placed in front of the first row of seats (Kolonia).

Architectural Specifications

The following specifications are drawn from Frank Sear’s reference book, Roman Theatres: An Architectural Study (Oxford University Press, 2006), except where otherwise noted.

Location

• Orientation: South-facing cavea
• GPS coordinates 38.39914, 23.79037
• Positioning: Built on flat terrain rather than utilizing a natural hillside, using an artificial semicircular embankment to support the seating structure (Kolonia). Located inside the West Gate, in the northwest of the city beneath the acropolis and to the north of the Temple of Dionysos (Perseus)

Cavea (seating area)

• Diameter: 91 meters (Sear 398)
• Total height: Approximately 9 meters above the orchestra (Perseus)
• Capacity: Approximately 6,000-6,300 spectators (Sear 398; Perseus)
• Divisions: Ima cavea with 25 rows of seats (8 surviving), divided into 11 cunei (wedge-shaped sections) by 12 staircases
• Construction: No praecinctio (horizontal walkway dividing seating sections)
• Materials: The earliest seating was likely wooden, later replaced with poros stone during the second construction phase (Perseus); most stone seats have been looted (Kolonia)
• Support structure: Built on an artificial embankment rather than a natural slope

Orchestra (performance space)

• Diameter: 22 meters (Sear 398; Kolonia)
• Shape: Circular, consistent with Greek rather than Roman theatre design
• Materials: Plaster floor decorated with paintings in two colors depicting vines and grapes (Kolonia)
• Special features:
  • Semicircular rainwater channel connected to two underground ducts for drainage (Kolonia)
  • Underground passage (Charonian steps) beneath the stage leading to an opening in the center of the orchestra, used for dramatic entrances of actors representing underworld figures (Sear 398; Kolonia)
  • This vaulted underground passageway connecting the stage building to the orchestra center is described as “extremely rare in Greek theatres” and permitted “the scenic revelation of the netherworld in certain plays” (Kolonia)

Pulpitum (stage)

• Dimensions: Length 19.85 meters, Width 2.75 meters
• Construction: Raised proscenium type, typical of Hellenistic theatre design
• Connection to orchestra: Underground vaulted passageway (Charonian steps) connected the stage to the orchestra

Scaenae Frons (stage building)

• Early phase: Foundation of the earliest building survives; Length 20.11 meters (Sear 398), with a rear wall length of approximately 30 meters (Perseus); Width 5.04 meters, divided into 5 rooms with three central doorways, the center measuring 3.26 meters wide (Perseus)
• Second phase: Dating from 198 BCE, Length 25.6 meters (Sear 398); elevated on a stone substructure that transformed the older wooden stage into an episcenium, with a new stone proscenium added (Perseus)
• Extensions: During the third building phase (early 2nd century BCE), the stage was extended with two wings decorated with painted designs (Kolonia)
• Architectural orders: Fragments of a Doric frieze from the facade of the proscenium of the third construction phase, whereas the second proscenium employed the Ionic order (Perseus)
• Special features: Vaulted passageway under the middle of the stage building (Charonian steps) leading to the center of the orchestra, constructed during the second phase when the orchestra level was lowered by approximately 3.35 meters and moved about 8 meters to the north (Perseus)

Access and Circulation

• Seating access: 12 staircases (klimakes) dividing the cavea into 11 wedge-shaped sections (cunei/kerkides) (Kolonia)
• Special areas: Seats of honor (proedria) for distinguished spectators (Kolonia)
• Safety features: During the third building phase, a protective grille was placed in front of the first row of seats to protect spectators during gladiatorial combats (Kolonia)

Current Status

The preservation condition of the Eretria theatre is unfortunately poor. According to Rosina Kolonia’s report for the Diazoma Association, only about one-fifth of the original carved and partially filled cavea remains. Most of the stone seats have been looted over the centuries, and the stage building and retaining walls are reduced to their lowest courses of limestone blocks (Kolonia).

Due to these advanced conditions of deterioration, access to the monument was previously forbidden (Kolonia). However, recent conservation efforts have begun to address these issues. In 1998, wooden supports were placed against the sections of wall at risk of collapse as a temporary measure (Diazoma).

More substantial restoration efforts are now underway. As of 2020, the Regional Government of Central Greece approved funding of 1,050,000 Euros for restoration and maintenance works (Diazoma). These ongoing efforts include:

• Archaeological cleaning
• Restoration and completion of the scene retaining walls
• Reconstruction of the conduit surrounding the cavea
• Completion of the stairways (klimakes)
• Reconstruction of the seats using new materials (Diazoma)

While the theatre previously hosted occasional small theatrical performances, its compromised state has limited public access and use in recent years (Kolonia). The theatre does not currently have UNESCO World Heritage status.

The Diazoma Association, a Greek non-profit organization dedicated to the study, protection, and promotion of ancient theatres, continues to advocate for and support conservation efforts at the Eretria theatre. The Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece has also proposed various projects for the preservation and presentation of the theatre (ESAG).

Renovation History

The theatre underwent three major architectural phases, though the exact dating of these phases remains a subject of scholarly debate:

First Phase (5th-4th century BCE)

• Initial construction of the theatre
• Date disputed: Some scholars date it to the fifth century BCE based on analogies with the Theatre of Dionysos at Athens (Fiechter 1937, cited in Perseus), while others argue for a late fourth century BCE date (Dinsmoor 1975, cited in Perseus)
• Rectangular stage building with five rooms and three central doorways, facing a circular orchestra
• Likely wooden scaffolding for the auditorium (Perseus)
• The parascenia (projecting rooms) were linked across the facade by a row of columns, whose stylobate is preserved (Perseus)
• Only the foundations of the original stage building and the southern wall of the western parodos survive from this period (Perseus)
• The plan of the orchestra and cavea layout from this phase remain unknown (Kolonia)

Second Phase (late 4th-3rd century BCE)

• Dated to approximately 320 BCE according to Dilke (Sear 398)
• Alternatively dated to circa 300 BCE based on an inscription from the reign of Demetrios Poliorcetes (Kolonia)
• Significant alterations made to accommodate changes required by New Comedy (Perseus)
• The old wooden stage building was elevated on a stone substructure, transforming it into an episcenium (Perseus)
• The orchestra level was lowered by approximately 3.35 meters and moved about 8 meters to the north (Perseus)
• Construction of the vaulted underground passageway (Charonian steps) connecting the new orchestra level with the area south of the old stage building (Perseus)
• Seating constructed of poros stone, replacing the earlier wooden seating (Perseus)
• Votive bases with inscriptions (IG XII.9.273-275) erected on the new parodos walls support the late fourth century BCE dating (Perseus)

Third Phase (after 198 BCE)

• Following the destruction of Eretria by the Romans in 198 BCE
• Originally thought to be a pre-Roman destruction reconstruction, now recognized as a “hasty renovation employing many reused blocks” from the post-198 BCE period (Schefold 1966, cited in Perseus)
• The foundations of the earliest stage building were reused (Perseus)
• Many repurposed blocks were used, including in the thresholds between the doors of the proscenium (Perseus)
• Addition of two decoratively painted wings to the stage building (Kolonia)
• Installation of a protective grille in front of the first row of seats for gladiatorial performances, reflecting Roman influence (Kolonia)
• A marble proscenium was added, though it remains unclear whether this was constructed before or after the Roman destruction (Perseus)

Archaeological Research

Archaeological investigation of the Eretria theatre began in the late 19th century with several important excavation campaigns, followed by more recent research in the late 20th and early 21st centuries:

1891-1895: American School of Classical Studies at Athens

• 1891: Initial excavations began under the direction of Charles Waldstein, with Rufus B. Richardson serving during Waldstein’s absences (Waldstein 233-35; Richardson 236-46). Carleton L. Brownson documented the orchestra and cavea, providing the first detailed architectural analysis (Brownson 266-80).
• 1892: The eastern half of the theatre’s orchestra was cleared and its correct diameter established (ASCSA Archives).
• 1894: Edward Capps continued excavations, providing additional details about the theatre’s architecture and function (Capps 338-46).
• 1895: Theodore Woolsey Heermance conducted the final season of American School excavations, fully clearing the theatre and connected buildings (Heermance 317-31; ASCSA Archives).

1896: German Archaeological Study

• Wilhelm Dörpfeld and Emil Reisch included the Eretria theatre in their comprehensive study “Das griechische Theater,” establishing its importance in the development of Greek theatrical architecture (Dörpfeld and Reisch 113).

1930s: Documentation Work

• Swiss archaeologist E. Fiechter produced detailed drawings of the monument, providing valuable documentation of its condition (Diazoma).

1975-1980: Greek Archaeological Service

• The monument underwent further excavation by the Greek Archaeological Service (Wikipedia).

1980-Present: Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (ESAG)

• 1980: First exploratory mission at the theatre by the Swiss School (Diazoma).
• 1997-1998: Second exploratory mission conducted detailed studies (Diazoma).
• 1999: The Swiss School prepared a conservation and consolidation study for the monument (Diazoma).
• 2020-Present: Ongoing restoration work funded by the Regional Government of Central Greece focusing on structural consolidation of the theatre (Diazoma).

Bibliography / Resources:

Brownson, Carleton L. “Excavations by the School at Eretria, 1891. V. The Theatre at Eretria. Orchestra and Cavea.” The American Journal of Archaeology and of the History of the Fine Arts, vol. 7, no. 3, 1891, pp. 266–80.

Capps, Edward. “Excavations in the Eretrian Theatre in 1894.” The American Journal of Archaeology and the History of the Fine Arts, vol. 10, no. 3, 1895, pp. 338–46.

“Eretria, Theater.” Perseus Digital Library, www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/artifact?name=Eretria%2C+Theater&object=Building. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

Fiechter, Ernst R. Das Theater in Eretria. W. Kohlhammer, 1937.

Kolonia, Rosina. “The Hellenistic Theatre at Eretria, Greece.” Diazoma. Diazoma Association. Athens, Greece. https://diazoma.gr/en/theaters/theatre-of-eretria/. Accessed 11 Jul 2024.

Richardson, Rufus B. “Excavations by the School at Eretria, 1891. I. Eretria: Historical Sketch.” The American Journal of Archaeology and of the History of the Fine Arts, vol. 7, no. 3, 1891, pp. 236–46.

Schefold, Karl. “The Architecture of Eretria.” Archaeology, vol. 21, 1968, pp. 272-281.

Sear, Frank. Roman Theatres: An Architectural Study. Oxford University Press, 2006.