The Theater of Dionysus

El cult of Dionysus was implanted in Athens in the XNUMXth century by the emperor Pisistratus. Dionysus built a temple in his own honor, in those days, quite humble, in the eastern part of the slope of the AcropolisAt that time, at the end of that century, different types of ceremonies began to take place gradually, among which theatrical and musical works were included.

Over the years, this temple that praised the God of agriculture, was gaining importance among Greek artists, for its cultural value and for being an imposing anfiteatro. The place gained so much prestige that it even got to the point of bringing together the greatest playwrights of all Greece, whose works made thousands and thousands of people congregate in it.

In its early days, people used to sit on the land of the surrounding hill, but as the  Theater of Dionysus It was gaining fame, important stands were built in stone and wood, which in addition to serving as seats for the spectators, fulfilled another function, allowing the theater to also function as a temple.

It is estimated that in the times of splendor of the theater, when its bleachers were intact, it had the capacity to house up to 17.000 viewers simultaneously. The stands were divided as follows: in the first rows, whose seats were usually made of marble, the wealthiest citizens of Athens sat, moving towards the top of the hill, gradually descending the social scales.

The shape of the amphitheater is crescent, and due to its construction materials and that it is surrounded by slopes on its 4 sides, the sound is distributed throughout the area in a clear and uniform way, one of the factors why it is so important. .