Tralleis

1st century BCE

In 1745 R. Pococke had the opportunity to see the barrel vaulted lateral corridors (parodoi) of the theater.(17) Excavations took place in the theatrical building in 1888 by the German Archaeological Institute and the archaeologists C. Humann and W. Dörpfeld.(18) Today there is virtually nothing left, apart from a small part of the cavea.(19) This is due to the looting of the architectural components by the inhabitants of the area in order to reuse them as building materials for the construction of their own houses. (Aristodimou, Georgia)

Cavea Width: 148 meters
Orchestra Width: 25 meters

Greek theater, made of marble which was later transformed into a theater of Roman – Asia Minor style. It faces south-west and it is located on the NE part of the city of Tralleis (Aydin) in Caria. The cavea is dated to the 1st century B.C., while alterations were carried out during the early imperial era. Today there is virtually nothing left. It is one of the first Hellenistic theaters with sculptural decoration, which included relief and fully sculptured figures. (Aristodimou)

“The Ancient Theatre of Tralleis”
Author: Aristodimou Georgia, “Tralleis (Antiquity), Theatre”, Encyclopaedia of the Hellenic World, Asia Minor, Translation: Dawson Maria – Dimitra , Kamara Afroditi, URL: <http://www.ehw.gr/l.aspx?id=9400> (reproduced with permission of the author, 11/3/2023)

Location: The theater in Tralleis is located on the NE part of the city, inside the walls, at the foot of the acropolis. Due to its southwest orientation, it is located towards the lower part of the city and the valley of Maeander. The stadium was built to the south of the theater and parallel to its scene. The proximity of the two buildings is an unusual phenomenon in the area of Asia Minor.(1)

Architectural Description: The theater was made of marble. Its ground plan follows that of the theaters of Greek type, but it was later converted into a Roman – Asia Minor style theater (1st Century A.D.), a usual tendency in the area of Asia Minor, where the layouts of the earlier Hellenistic theaters were modified during the imperial era. (2)

The theatrical construction was of large size, with a horseshoe–shaped auditorium (cavea), 148 m in diameter and an orchestra 25 m in diameter. It is built against a natural slope taking advantage of its incline, while for the construction of the retaining walls artificial substructures were required so as to cover the incline. Parts of the foundation of the retaining walls are visible today. Two radial vaulted corridors at sides of the cavea provided direct access from outside the theater to the circumferential uncovered corridor (peripatos)at the top of the cavea.

The auditorium (cavea) is divided horizontally by two broad corridor (diazomata, praesinctiones) into three zones (maeniana). Details of the seating’s arrangement remain unknown. From the archaeological evidence it can only be concluded that the lower section of seating (theatron, ima cavea-maenianum ) was divided vertically by nine staircases (scalae, scalaria) into eight wedge-shapes, called cunei. Access to the ima cavea, was probably provided by staircases built into the thickness of the retaining walls, an element that can be also found in the theater of Magnesia ad Maeandrum. The total number of the rows of seats is not known and only a few traces of them are preserved today at the lower section of seating. (3) The seats made of white marble had a curved profile and were not made of a single block of marble, like in the theaters of Greece, but of two different blocks: the seat and the slab for the feet of the spectators. Because of the damage of the theatrical construction, we don’t know if this design characteristic applied to all the seats of the theater.

The first row of the ima cavea (theatron) and behind the channel (euripus) for the collection of the rainwater, was the prohedria, reserved for the privileged visitors of the theater. These seats of honour were higher than the rest of the seats and stood on a podium. A low parapet rested on that podium.(4) In the middle of the cavea there are traces of boxes (tribunalia) reserved for the city’s officials, a characteristic feature that can be also seen in the theater of Priene.

In the top part of the cavea behind the uppermost row of the seats, there are traces of a wall which follows the curve of the seating, and probably belonged to a circumferential stoa (porticus in summa cavea) which created a passage for the spectators at the upper part of the theater, and a shelter in case of rain.

Between the lowest row of seats of the ima cavea, the prohedria, and the orchestra, there was a narrow paved passageway, 1 m. wide. The orchestra was according to W. Dörpfeld unpaved, while later, probably during the 1st century A.D. it seems that it was paved with marble slabs, some of which are preserved in situ.(5) At the remaining part of the orchestra, the sub-layer of limestone is preserved, as well as traces of the paving.

In the middle of the orchestra, 2,10 m below the ground level runs a T-shaped passage.(6) This underground passage, 0,60 m. wide can be identified with the Charonian tunnel.(7)

From the scene building, only traces of the proscaenium are preserved, which is 3 m high and 6 m wide. The layout and the building phases of the stage can not be securely restored. It was divided into two oblong aisles through three parallel colonnades that included 16 columns. From these colonnades, only the square slabs of the foundation are preserved on which the columns stood. It is indicative that for static reasons, the foundation slabs of the middle colonnade (8) were of bigger size than those at the two edges, which rested on the walls of the scene building. The foundation slabs bear apertures at their upper surface for the support of the columns, some of which have left visible traces.(9) The proscaenium had a closed façade, which was adorned by a relief frieze. At the center of the façade of the proscaenium (10) there are architectural components of a staircase or ascending ramps that allowed access to the scene from the orchestra.

Sculptural Decoration: The theater at Tralleis is one of the first theaters of the Hellenistic period that had a decorated proscaenium. In spite of the poorly preservation of the theatrical construction, quite a few sculptures are preserved, round and relief. From the fully sculptured figures, the most significant are a statue of Apollo Kitharodos,(11) and a group of archaistic female figures of the type of Caryatid.(12) During the German excavations of 1888, in the area of the theater, fragments of sculptures were unearthed which were assumed to belong to the relief decoration of the proscaenium.(13) The findings were taken to Berlin and Constantinople. The best preserved finds are from the frieze, 1 m in height, that represented the procession of Dionysian thiasus. A winged female figure is also preserved, which could be identified with Nike, and also a relief depicting the front part of a horse.(14)

Date: The design of the cavea presents similarities in the shape and the form of the seats to the theater of Nyssa.(15) Thus it can be concluded from these elements that the construction of the cavea was completed probably during the 1st century B.C., while in the early imperial years, in the Augustan era (27 B.C.-14 A.D.) or even later, in the 2nd half of the 1st century A.D., its layout was modified.(16)

Author: Aristodimou Georgia, “Tralleis (Antiquity), Theatre”, Encyclopaedia of the Hellenic World, Asia Minor URL: <http://www.ehw.gr/l.aspx?id=9400>

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Footnotes:

(1) Marchese, R.T., The Lower Maeander Flood Plain: A regional settlement study. BAR International Series 292 (Oxford 1986) p. 219-222.

(2) Bieber, The History of the Greek and Roman Theater (Princeton, 1961) p. 190.

(3) Some of the archaeological evidence were visible when Pococke visited the site, who actually supposes that the cavea had at least 50 rows of seats, Pococke, R., A Description of the East and some other countries, II (London 1745, II) p. 54-56.

(4) De Bernardi Ferrero, D., Teatri classici in Asia Minore I (Roma 1970) . 110.

(5) Mark G at the theater’s plan by W Dörpfeld, see. Humann, C., Dörpfeld, W., “Ausgrabungen in Tralles”, AM 18 (1893) p. 395-413, plate. XIII.

(6) Mark , at the theaterr’s plan by W Dörpfeld . Humann, C., Dörpfeld, W., “Ausgrabungen in Tralles”, AM 18 (1893) p. 395-413, plate. XIII.

(7) Pollux, IV, 132. De Bernardi Ferrero, D., Teatri classici in Asia Minore I (Roma 1970) p. 110.

(8) The middle colonnade had double columns (for which W. Dörpfeld uses the term “Zwillingssäulen”), see Dörpfeld, W., “Ausgrabungen in Tralles”, AM 18 (1893) p. 409.

(9) Marks R, Q, at the theater’s plan by W. Dörpfeld. Humann, C., Dörpfeld, W., “Ausgrabungen in Tralles”, AM 18 (1893) p. 395-413, plate. XIII.

(10) Mark , at the theater’s plan by W. Dörpfeld, see. Humann, C., Dörpfeld, W., “Ausgrabungen in Tralles”, AM 18 (1893) p. 395-413, plate. XIII.

(11) It was found in 1887 near the theater. Istanbul, Archaeological Museum, No. 383+ 384. Height :1,92m. The body and the head of the figure are preserved. He is depicted standing, naked with an himation that covered only his limbs. His right arm is over his head. The long hair was tight up at the back and ended on the shoulders. It is completed with the guitar in the left hand. 2nd half of the 2 century B.C. Mendel, G., Musées Imperiales Ottomans. Catalogue des skulpturesvGrecques, Romaines, et Byzantines II (Constantinopel 1914) p. 269-71 No.548. LIMC II (1984) p. 257 No. 595, see entry Apollon (O. Palaggia). Özgan, R., Die griechischen und römischen Skulpturen aus Tralleis (Asia Minor Studien 15, Bonn 1995) p. 50-54, TR 20, plate 10.

(12) Texier stated that a Caryatid 3 m. high, found in the ruins of the proscaenium, is of enormous size. For this reason, it is considered that he might have taken wrong measurements, or he added by memory the dimensions much later. See Texier, Th., Asie mineure : description géographique, historique et archéologique des provinces et des villes de la Chersonnèse d’Asie (Paris 1862) p. 27 ff. Vermeule, C. C., III, “Figural Pillars: From Asia Minor to Corinth to Rome”, in: . del Chiaro (ed), Corinthiaka. Studies in Honor of D. A. Amyx (Columbia 1986) p. 74, with note 7. Two more figures come from Tralles and have many similarities between them. However, it can not be concluded if they belonged along with the Caryatid to a group of figures – piers from the scene building of the theater. The archaistic Caryatid was found in 1902 along with the Ephebe of Tralles and the Nymph outside the theater. She wears a chiton, hymation and polo. Her left arm supports the architectural member above the polos. Archaistic features can be discerned in the hairstyle and posture. Maybe at the 2nd half of the 1st Century A.D. Mendel, G., Musées Imperiales Ottomans. Catalogue des skulptures Grecques, Romaines, et Byzantines II (Constantinopel 1914) p. 257-60 No. 541. Özgan, R., Die griechischen und römischen Skulpturen aus Tralleis (AMS 15, Bonn 1995) p. 125-133, TR.70, plate 35.1.3-4 and 36.1-2. Head of female figure, similar to the above, from Tralles. It had been transferred to the Evangelic School of Smyrna. Özgan, R., Die griechischen und römischen Skulpturen aus Tralleis (AMS 15, Bonn 1995) p. 125-126, in TR.70, plate 36.3.

(13) Humann, C., Dörpfeld, W., “Ausgrabungen in Tralles”, AM 18 (1893), p. 401-2.

(14) Fragment of relief with front part of a horse. The head, the arms and the lower body are missing. The short mane and the reins can be discerned. It is running to the left turning the head toward the spectator. At the right stands a male figure who holds the reins trying to tie the horse. Istanbul Archaeological Museum, preserved height:0,69m. Humann, C., Dörpfeld, W., “Ausgrabungen in Tralles”, AM 18 (1893) 402. Mendel, G., Musées Imperiales Ottomans. Catalogue des skulptures Grecques, Romaines, et Byzantines II (Constantinopel 1914) p. 52 No.291. Özgan, R., Die griechischen und römischen Skulpturen aus Tralleis (AMS 15, Bonn 1995) p. 108, TR. 64, plate. 30.3.

(15) It is dated in the 2nd quarter of the 1st Century A.D. The scaenae frons is dated around 200 A.D. For the theater of Nyssa : De Bernardi Ferrero, D., Teatri classici in Asia Minore, Iǔ(Roma 1970) p. 115-121, pic. 107-119, plate. 21-22. Bean, G. E., Turkey beyond the Maeander–An archaeological guide (London 1979) p. 182, plate 61. Ciancio Rossetto, P., Pisani Sartorio, G. (ed.), Teatri Greci e Romani, alle Origini del Linguaggio rappresentato (Seat 1994/5/6) p. 505.

(16) De Bernardi Ferrero, D., Teatri classici in Asia Minore, Iǔ(Roma 1970) p. 111.

(17) Pococke, R., A Description of the East and some other countries, II (London 1745, II) p. 54-56.

(18) Humann, C., Dörpfeld, W., “Ausgrabungen in Tralles”, AM 18 (1893) p. 395-413.

(19) The hill where the city of Tralles was built, today it is occupied by military facilities, and the visit is permitted only with military escort.

Bibliography / Resources:

Ciancio Rossetto P. – Pisani Sartorio G. (eds), Teatri Greci e Romani, alle Origini del Linguaggio rappresentato, Roma 1994

Fuchs M., Untersuchungen zur Ausstattung römischer Theater in Italien und in den Westprovinzen des Imperium Romanum, Mainz am Rhein 1987

Bean G.E., Turkey beyond the Maeander, London 1971

Özgan R., Die grieschischen und römischen Skulpturen aus Tralleis, Habelt 1995, Asia Minor Studien 15

De Bernardi Ferrero D., Teatri classici in Asia Minore III. Città dalla Troade alla Pamfilia, Roma 1970, Studi di Architettura antica

Texier C., Asie Mineure, Description Géographique, Historique et Archéologique des Provinces et des Villes de la Chersonnése d’Asie, Paris 1862

Mendel G., Musées impériaux ottomans. Catalogue des sculptures grecques, romaines et byzantines, Constantinople 1912-1914

Marchese R.T., The Lower Maeander Flood Plain. A Regional Settlement Study, Oxford 1986, BAR International Series 292

Bey Edhem, “Fouilles de Tralles”, BCH, 28, 1902-1903, 60-77

Fuchs M., Untersuchungen zur Ausstattung römischer Theater in Italien und in den Westprovinzen des Imperium Romanum, Mainz am Rhein 1987

Bean G.E., Turkey beyond the Maeander, London 1971

Özgan R., Die grieschischen und römischen Skulpturen aus Tralleis, Habelt 1995, Asia Minor Studien 15

De Bernardi Ferrero D., Teatri classici in Asia Minore III. Città dalla Troade alla Pamfilia, Roma 1970, Studi di Architettura antica

Texier C., Asie Mineure, Description Géographique, Historique et Archéologique des Provinces et des Villes de la Chersonnése d’Asie, Paris 1862

Mendel G., Musées impériaux ottomans. Catalogue des sculptures grecques, romaines et byzantines, Constantinople 1912-1914

Marchese R.T., The Lower Maeander Flood Plain. A Regional Settlement Study, Oxford 1986, BAR International Series 292

Bey Edhem, “Fouilles de Tralles”, BCH, 28, 1902-1903, 60-77

Dörpfeld W., Humann C., “Ausgrabungen in Tralles”, AM, 18 , 1893, 395-413