Messene (modern Mavromati, Greece)

Early 3rd century BCE

Cavea Width: 88 meters
Orchestra Width: 0 meters

The Ancient Theatre of Messene (modern Mavromati, Greece)

• Ancient theatre at Messene, modern Mavromati, Greece. (Sear 401)
• Cavea approximately 88 meters in diameter. South-southwest orientation. Seating divided into eleven wedge-shaped sections (cunei), Separated by ten radial staircases. Ima and summa cavea, separated by diazoma. Number of rows unknown. 
• Pulpitum (stage) 66m long
• Original construction in early 3rd century BCE. (Themelis, “Diazoma”)
• Renovations under Emperors Augustus and Tiberius. (Themelis, “Diazoma”)
• Additional repairs in mid-2nd century CE by Tiberius Claudius Saithidas. (Themelis, “Diazoma”)
• Abandoned in late 3rd or early 4th century CE. (Sear 401)
• Estimated original capacity of 10,000 spectators. (Roamin’ The Empire)
• First 15 rows of seating have been restored, seating 5,000. (GreekReporter)

The Ancient Theatre of Messene

The ancient theatre of Messene is located in the archaeological site of Messene in the modern village of Mavromati, situated in the Messenia region of southwestern Peloponnese, Greece.

The city of Messene was founded in 369 BCE by the Theban general Epaminondas after his victory at the Battle of Leuctra, which ended Spartan hegemony (Themelis, “Diazoma”). The city was established as the capital of the newly liberated Messenia, which had previously been under Spartan control for centuries. 

Brief History of the Theatre

The theatre of Messene functioned not only as a venue for dramatic performances but also as a site for mass political assemblies. According to Themelis, the theatre was the scene of a critical meeting between Philip V of Macedon and Aratus, General of the Achaean League, in 214 BCE, one day after a popular revolt and massacre of city officials and two hundred prosperous citizens (Themelis, “Diazoma”). The theatre also witnessed significant historical events such as the public display in 183 BCE of the captured Philopoemen of Megalopolis, the famous General of the Achaean League known as “the Last Greek” (Themelis, “Diazoma”).

Archaeological evidence confirms that the theatre’s first building phase dates to the early 3rd century BCE (Themelis, “Diazoma”). The structure underwent significant renovations during the Roman period, particularly during the reigns of Emperors Augustus and Tiberius, with additional large-scale repairs in the mid-2nd century CE funded by the local benefactor Tiberius Claudius Saithidas. According to Sear, the theatre was eventually abandoned in the late 3rd or early 4th century CE (Sear 401). The structure was subsequently used as a quarry during the Byzantine period and later eras.

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

• GPS coordinates: 37.17771, 21.91884
• Located in the Peloponnese, Greece, 25 kilometers (16 miles) north of Kalamata and 60 kilometers (37 miles) east of Pylos. The theatre is north-west of the ancient agora.
• Orientation: Facing south-southwest
• Topographical details: Located northwest of the agora; the theatre was built against a slope with artificially supported sides using substantial retaining walls

Cavea (seating area)

• Diameter: Approximately 88 meters
• Estimated capacity: 10,00; 5,000 following recent reconstruction. (Roamin’ the Empire)
• Seating divisions: 2 vertical seating sections (ima and summa cavea) separated by diazoma (curved walkway), divided into 11 cunei (wedge-shaped sections) by 10 radially converging staircases (Themelis, “Diazoma”). Number of rows unknown.
• The theatre featured special prohedria seating in the front row for dignitaries reserved for high-ranking officials (Roamin’ The Empire). Particularly notable were two stone thrones with lions’ feet, including one at the orchestra’s apex with a distinctive back rising to a goose’s head, likely intended for the priest of Dionysus or the agonothetes who presided over the Dionysia festival (Themelis, “Diazoma”).The first 15 rows have been restored in recent years as part of the theatre’s conservation efforts, seating approximately 5,000 spectators, reportedly half its original capacity of around 10,000 visitors (GreekReporter).
• Construction materials and techniques: Very few original stone seats survive in situ. Support structures and access: Built on an artificial hill and supported by a strong retaining wall in an irregular horseshoe shape; the retaining wall’s circumference was interrupted approximately every twenty meters by small ogival gateways (Themelis, “Diazoma”)

Orchestra (performance space between audience and stage)

• Dimensions: unknown; horseshoe-shaped; during the mid-2nd century CE renovation, the orchestra was paved with multicolored flagstones (Themelis, “Diazoma”)
• Special features and modifications: Equipped with a rainwater drainage channel running around the perimeter

Pulpitum (stage)

• The stage building was approximately 66 meters long (Sear 401); the proscenium of the Hellenistic phase featured a row of Ionic columns and semi-columns made of plastered psammite (sandstone) that were later reused as supports under the floor of the widened Roman proscenium (Themelis, “Diazoma”)
• Connection to orchestra: A vaulted entrance led to the orchestra from the east during later phases when the parodoi (side entrances) of the Hellenistic phase were abolished (Themelis, “Diazoma”)

Scaenae Frons (decorative scene house front)

• Architectural order and design: 33 meters long and 4 meters wide; at least three stories high with each story including columns, doorways, arches, and niches adorned with statues (Themelis, “Diazoma”)
• Doorways and stories: Multiple stories with the lowest featuring larger columns than those above
• Decorative elements: Columns of grey granite alternating with red-white marble, crowned with elaborate Corinthian, Pergamene, and Ionic capitals supporting an entablature; the stage building was faced with marble slabs, some carved with decorative reliefs; niches housed honorary statues (Themelis, “Diazoma”)

Access and Circulation

• Entrances, exits, and vomitoria: The theatre featured parodoi (side entrances) during its Hellenistic phase; these were later abolished during Roman renovations when a vaulted entrance led to the orchestra from the east (Themelis, “Diazoma”)
• Stairways and special areas: A distinctive large staircase built against the outer retaining wall of the cavea may have functioned as a third “upper parodos” for the dramatic entrance of actors “from on high” during special performances (Themelis, “Diazoma”)
  

Current Status:

The theatre today preserves much of the west retaining wall, part of the west parodos, and portions of the scene building (Sear 401). After its abandonment in late antiquity, the theatre was used as a quarry, with stone robbing continuing from the 7th century through the Venetian period (1356-1553). Archaeological remains of Byzantine settlements overlap with the theatre’s upper sections (Themelis, “Diazoma”). First 15 rows of seating have been restored, seating 5,000. (GreekReporter)

Conservation Efforts

The site of ancient Messene, including the theatre, has been the focus of ongoing archaeological research, conservation, and partial restoration work by the Archaeological Society of Athens.

UNESCO Status

While the archaeological site of Messene is not currently inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, it is recognized as one of Greece’s most significant and well-preserved ancient cities.

Renovation History: Phases with Dates

• First building phase: Early 3rd century BCE (Hellenistic period). Hellenistic phase: Original construction with proscenium featuring Ionic columns and semi-columns of plastered psammite
• Second phase: During the reigns of Emperors Augustus and Tiberius (late 1st century BCE to early 1st century CE). Roman modifications (Augustus/Tiberius): Rebuilding of the stage building and proscenium on the ruins of the Hellenistic stage
• Third phase: Mid-2nd century CE, marked by large-scale repairs and restructuring. Saithidas renovation: Large-scale repairs and restructuring, including paving the orchestra with multicolored flagstones, modification of access points with the abolition of the original parodoi and creation of a vaulted entrance from the east, and elaborate decoration of the scaenae frons (Themelis, “Diazoma”)
• Abandonment: Late 3rd or early 4th century CE (Sear 401)

Archaeological Research
Major Excavation Campaigns and Directors

The archaeological site of Messene, including the theatre, has been systematically excavated by the Archaeological Society of Athens since 1986 under the direction of Petros Themelis (Sear 401).

Methodologies and Publication History

The excavation reports have been published in the annual Ergon of the Archaeological Society of Athens (1986, 1987, 1988). Additional publications include Themelis’s overview “He Archaia Messene” (Athens, 1999) and studies by Gogos on Pausanias’s descriptions of the site (Sear 401).

In the 1990s, under the direction of Petros Themelis, the theatre began a 20-year renovation project. In 2013, the partially restored theatre hosted its first performance in more than 1,700 years with the Athens State Orchestra conducted by Giorgos Kouroupos. The restoration process is ongoing (Source: Claus).

Bibliography / Resources:

Gogos, S. “Pausanias und das antike Theater.” Philologische Wochenschrift, vol. 76, 1956, pp. 329-339.

“Messene Part II.” Roamin’ the Empire, 17 Apr. 2024, www.roamintheempire.com/index.php/2024/04/17/messene-part-ii/.

Pausanias. Description of Greece. Translated by W.H.S. Jones, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, 1935.

Plutarch. Life of Aratus. Translated by Bernadotte Perrin, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, 1926.

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

Themelis, Petros. “Ancient Messene: History and Monuments.” Ministry of Culture, Archaeological Society of Athens, 2019.

Themelis, Petros. “He Archaia Messene.” Athens, Archaeological Society of Athens, 1999.

Themelis, Petros. “The Ancient Theatre of Messene.” Diazoma Association, 2020, https://diazoma.gr/en/theaters/theatre-of-messene/. Accessed 11 Jul 2024.

Themelis, Petros. “Ergon of the Archaeological Society of Athens.” Archaeological Society of Athens, 1986, pp. 103.

Themelis, Petros. “Ergon of the Archaeological Society of Athens.” Archaeological Society of Athens, 1987, pp. 98-99.

Themelis, Petros. “Ergon of the Archaeological Society of Athens.” Archaeological Society of Athens, 1988, pp. 30.