5 of the Best... Theatres of the Ancient World

Throughout the travels I've been lucky enough to experience, so much of it has focused on ancient sites that really interest me. In turn, I've very grateful to have seen so much of the 'Roman world'. At its peak, the Roman Empire stretched out from its heart in Rome, right up to the top of today's England, south into gaining control of the whole of the North Africa shoreline, and east into the Levant region of the Holy Land and Jordan.

Roman sites I've been privileged to see include the likes of Morocco's Volibulis, Jordan's Jerash, Italy's Pompeii, the coastal settlement of Caesarea in the Holy Land, and, much closer to home in England: the Roman Baths in Bath. The Romans also particularly left their mark on cities which are now huge bustling metropolis' today. Of course, ruins are a plenty in Rome, but there's also so many remains in the likes of Türkiye's largest city, Istanbul, along with the Greek and Jordanian capital cities: Athens and Amman respectively.

One of the most striking features of Roman cities that is so relatable to us today, is their theatres. The entertainment hub of Ancient Rome, took much inspiration from the Greeks just before, however the Romans advanced the entertainment beyond performances of tragedy and comedy, into the realms of blood-thirsty gladiatorial battles and parades showing the pure might and strength of the empire. Today, theatres are as popular as ever for an entertainment fix, whilst horror movies on film in cinemas, could be said to have derived from fights to the death in the Colosseum!

In this article, I'd like to share '5 of the Best... Theatres of the Ancient World'; sharing memories and historical information about some of the best ancient theatres I've been lucky to experience...

1. Ephesus, Türkiye

We start this journey into ancient theatre on the Turkish coast, in one of the greatest ruined ancient cities: Ephesus. Famous for its grand array of ruins iconic to a Roman city; home to a Colonnaded Street, temples to the gods and emperors (such as Hadrian and Domitian here), an Agora (place for trading goods), and, Ephesus's crown jewel - the much photographed Library of Celsus.

Under the Roman's, Ephesus became the chief port of the Aegean Sea, however preceding this, the city was founded in the 4th BC by Lysimachus, who succeeded Alexander the Great. Even before that, dating back to 1000 BC, there's evidence of a Greek settlement here - it became a home of worship for the Anatolian 'mother goddess', Cybele. Today, Ephesus is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Türkiye. The western coast of Türkiye used to be known as Asia Minor and hosts an array of Ancient Greek, and ultimately too, Roman ruins. Out of all of them - cruise ships choose Ephesus as 'the one' to see. I remember seeing the huge hoards of crowds come in as the day went on. It's a joy to see people from all over the world, in awe of the history,

With regards to the theatre at Ephesus, I was impressed by its size and also the view - you can see a long way out over the horizon, right out past the Harbour Street. Emperors Domitian and Trajan (between 81 and 117 AD between them) conducted extensive rebuilding of the Great Theatre of Ephesus. This came after the initial Hellenistic (Greek) building that was there before, that dated right back to centuries before, between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC.

Assemblies took place here as well as the expected theatre performances. In the later Imperial period, the theatre hosted gladiatorial fights also. As the Roman Empire split into two, with today's Istanbul becoming Constantinople back then ('the New Rome'), the Eastern Roman Empire became known as the Byzantine Empire. It was at this time that the theatre became incorporated into the Byzantine city walls. Without a doubt, you could feel the history in the air at Ephesus; it's a stunning ruined city that's survived so well over time - and it has a splendid theatre.

2. Hierapolis, Türkiye

We're staying in Türkiye for number two of this edition of '5 of the Best...', heading inland from Selçuk (the town by Ephesus today), to Denizli, whereby the ancient city of Hierapolis can be found. Adjacent is the popular tourist attraction of Pumakkale ('the cotton castle'), of which is a stunning natural wonder of white calcium carbonate steps on a plateau, formed as a result of limestone deposits from hot spring water losing carbon dioxide as it descends. This undoubtedly is a draw for the crowds, however the ancient ruins of Hierapolis are a treasure in their own right.

The large Colonnaded Street here runs from the South Gate to the Arch of Domitian, whilst unique to Hierapolis is the Necropolis - the largest ancient graveyard in all of Anatolia. Tombs date from the early Christian period, as well as ones from throughout the Roman and Greeks eras in their respective styles. Also special at Hierapolis is the clear waters of its pool, where people can still swim in today if they wish. The water is home to scattered ruins of the Temple of Apollo.

Founded by the King of Pergamum (another ancient city a bit further north in Türkiye), Hierapolis' golden era was between 196 and 215 AD. The theatre here is well-preserved, albeit smaller in scale than at it time of construction. When built in 200 BC, it could seat 20,000 people, but nowadays, 30 rows of seats is all that remains. It makes my '5 of the Best...' though, because of how pristine it is in condition. The stage building, known as a 'skene' is stunning, and I have fond memories from visiting in May 2023, a few days prior to visiting Ephesus. Our tour guide Mehmet, brought some locally made fruit wine to taste. I don't drink normally, so even a sip tasted very strong for me personally! Just having a taste though, in situ as it were, was enough to help transport you back to being sat enjoying the theatre's atmosphere around 2,000 years ago!

3. Amman, Jordan

Next up, we're heading further east into Asia from Türkiye, to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in the Middle East. I'm lucky to have visited this country in February 2019 and then again in March 2023, whereby both of the group trips I joined started in the capital city of Amman. On both occasions, I had a free day In the city before we left Amman, and both times I ventured up to the historic Citadel, which rises high above the city. One reason why I particularly wanted to revisit this high point, was because on my first visit four years ago, I remember that torrential rain meant I didn't have a chance to properly take in the Citadel the first time (the rain was quite remarkable for one of the driest places on earth!). Up there, there's grand views of the Roman Theatre. There's a strong ancient history in Amman; it was known as Philadelphia ('the city of brotherly love').

During my visit to Amman this year, I paid a visit to the Roman Theatre, and I was really impressed by how well preserved it is and the scale of the architectural achievement. It was during the time of Philadelphia in the second century AD, when this theatre was built. On the front wall of the changing rooms, there's an inscription that dates this historic monument. It's amazing to imagine what this ancient theatre and city in its entirety would have been like during the time of construction under the rule of Roman Emperor Antonius Pius. In the upper floor of the auditorium, there's a niche which was home to the presence of the city's god, Hercules. This is alike how Athena is the patron deity of Athens; the main temple atop the Citadel in Amman, is too, the Temple of Hercules.

Three tiers made up this place, with senators seating located in the lowest tier - closest to the entertainment as seats of honour. In the middle tier was citizens of the empire, whilst in the top tier, the crowd was an eclectic mix of slaves, foreigners, the urban poor and women. The capacity was 6,000 spectators, and whilst the theatre never became completely ruined, its impressive condition today is thanks to a full restoration in 1957 by the Department of Antiquities. It again became a place of entertainment and hosted concerts. The entertainment was much different to ancient times though... back then, wrestling was popular as gladiatorial contests saw fights with the sword and also featuring predators that were sourced from the Roman Empire's foreign expanses. In this scenario, a fence was erected to protect the audience from the on-stage battle.

At the start of the celebrations, the altar that stood on the middle of the orchestra saw a sacrifice to Dionysus. He was the god of theatre, wine and celebration, and was known as Bacchus in Roman times (Dionysus was his Greek name). Something else interesting about visiting the theatre today as well, is the Museum of Popular Traditions in the eastern vault, and the Folklore Museum in the western vault. The reconstructions saw these created, and I really enjoyed visiting them and gaining a really fruitful insight into Jordanian culture from the displays and information there.

The Roman Theatre of Amman and the cities other interesting attractions also featured in my recent '5 of the Best... Jordan' article. If interested in this piece, please click on the following link: https://www.lessonsandjoysoftravel.com/post/5-of-the-best-jordan

4. Athens' Theatre of Dionysus, Greece

Up next, we head west into Europe, to the 'birthplace of western civilisation': Athens. The Greek capital is home to many ancient ruins which enable you to be transported back to yesteryear. Its most revered place is the Acropolis (meaning 'high city'). Rising high above the city, this sacred rock is home to the idyllic Erectheion, the Propylaea grand entrance-way, and, the awe-inspiring Parthenon (the Acropolis also features in my '5 of the Best... Athens!' article, linked here: https://www.lessonsandjoysoftravel.com/post/5-of-the-best-athens, if you'd like an overview of the site). On the south slopes of the Acropolis is the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus, which is why Athens features in this '5 of the Best... Theatres of the Ancient World' piece.

Of course, Dionysus has been mentioned already just above in this article, and the fact that a theatre by the most special place in Ancient Greece (the Acropolis) is named after him, speaks magnitude as to his importance and reverence in the pantheon of deities. Dionysus, along with the patron deity of Athens, Athena, are two of the 12 Olympian Gods in Greek legend - believed to reside at Mount Olympus. This particular theatre is very special because this is believed to be where ancient Greek theatre began. The information board by the theatre states: 'It is in this place that the ancient theatre was born and developed, both as an artistic and architectural concept'.

It is because of this, that I choose to feature this theatre in this article, as oppose to the stunning Herodes Atticus Theatre, which is located just to the west, also on the south slope of the Acropolis. The Theatre of Dionysus dates back over 500 years longer in history, than the Theatre of Herodes Atticus. The Theatre of Dionysus was a sanctuary to the god it was named after, as far back to the sixth century BC. Lykargos built the theatre we see today, between 342 and 326 BC, before it fell into decline in the Byzantine period. Despite scant remains, the clean and well-preserved state of what's left of this ancient theatre, is thanks to excavation and restoration work in the 19th century.

In contrast, the 'Odeon of Herodes Atticus' (as it is also known) was originally built in AD 161. This theatre is still used today for outdoor concerts after restoration work in 1955. It is in its own right, an incredible theatre and absolutely worth pausing at to admire when visiting the Acropolis. There was further restoration work taking place when I visited this May, however the photo above was taken back in March 2018 on a memorable first visit to the Greek capital city.

Back now to the Dionysus Theatre and its fascinating history... The Theatre of Dionysus was the final destination of the 'Great Dionysia', of which was a festive procession through Athens. The capacity of the theatre was estimated between 17,000 to 19,000, and this was the first monumental stone theatre in Athens. Before this, the 'theatron' was a wooden framework, the 'ikria'. In between this, following improvements in the 5th century BC, there was a while before this stone construction's reality was realised. The Peloponnesian War (431 to 404 BC), was a contributing factor in interrupting construction and plans. Ultimately, despite only scant ruins available to see today, this theatre in its prime dates back over 2,300 years and in my opinion, it is without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most treasured theatres of the ancient world.

5. Rome's Colosseum, Italy

We conclude this journey around '5 of the Best... Theatres of the Ancient World' in Rome - the grandiose Italian capital. Ancient Rome's legacy is clear to see all around in the city's architecture, and the 'Colosseo' is the most famous attraction that tourists flock to in numbers today.

The previous four ancient theatres I've featured, all show aspects of Greek architecture; the Colosseum, built during the reign of Emperor Vespasian, is no different. The three orders of Greek column: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian, can all be seen on the exterior façade of the Colosseum. As previously touched upon, the Romans used the Greek gods and revered them as their own, and in architecture too, they followed many of the same styles. The Greek culture was kept very much alive through the Roman Empire, and thus it's often hard to tell on viewing, whether a building, or theatre as we've delved into here, is Greek or Roman (or even Graeco-Roman... a combination!). What is certain for sure, is that they both left incredible legacies and share many similarities.

As alluded too already though, the Romans altered the types of performances on offer at the theatre... and the Colosseum is known more than any other ancient place of entertainment for its blood-thirsty gladiatorial contests. When the Colosseum opened in 80 AD, the then Emperor Titus, treated the public to 100 days of games to celebrate its grand opening. Vespasian's son, Titus certainly wanted to create a spectacle fitting of such a construction. Sure enough, the year after Vespasian died, the games saw an estimated 5,000 animals slaughtered in the arena. Interestingly, because of Vespasian being of the 'Flavian Dynasty', the Colosseum is also known as the 'Flavian Amphitheatre', and it contained seats for 50,000 spectators.

The term amphitheatre is key as to why I chose to feature the Colosseum in this article; effectively an amphitheatre is just two theatres facing each other - therefore allowing double the amount of people to watch the spectacle than at an ordinary theatre. It also marks an incredible milestone as to how in less than five hundred years on from the previously featured Theatre of Dionysus, construction ambitions grew so much across the time periods of Ancient Greece and Rome.

This is why I included the Colosseum in this '5 of the Best...' - it's unique to the other four and epitomises the development of theatre construction. I mentioned at the start of this article how theatres are relatable to us in how they are still being built and in use today, and with the amphitheatre style Colosseum too, this is just as true. The style of an amphitheatre and having an 'arena' to perform in, surrounded by spectators, is visible all over the world in super stadiums today! The likes of Wembley Stadium in England for example... hosts international football, pop concerts and boxing matches, to name a few, all with a huge crowd 360° degrees around.

The Colosseum is called that today, because of the giant statue of Nero that stood nearby (the 'Colosso di Nerone'). This name was adopted in medieval times. Over centuries of city pollution along with general deterioration, by the time of the 21st century, the Colosseum was over-due a good clean-up. Thanks to a €25 million restoration project that started in 2014 and finished in 2016, the Colosseum is once again back to a gleaming testament of its former glory. Also, whether you call this Wonder of the World, the Colosseum or the Flavian Amphitheatre, its an incredible historic place to see and explore - an architectural marvel of the ancient world!

By Aaron Woodruff,

Lessons and Joys of Travel

03/01/2023