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Magnesia ad Maeandrum (Antiquity), Theatre

Συγγραφή : Aristodimou Georgia (13/6/2003)
Μετάφραση : Dawson Maria - Dimitra , Kamara Afroditi

Για παραπομπή: Aristodimou Georgia, "Magnesia ad Maeandrum (Antiquity), Theatre",
Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Μ. Ασία
URL: <http://www.ehw.gr/l.aspx?id=7744>
Μαγνησία επί Μαιάνδρω (Αρχαιότητα), Θέατρο (13/10/2009 v.1) Magnesia ad Maeandrum (Antiquity), Theatre (9/9/2009 v.1) 
 

1. Location

The theater at Magnesia ad Maeandrum is built on the south slope of a hill on the west part of the town, not far from the Agora. It is a Greek theater and it faces north-west.

2. Architectural Design

It is a theater of large size. The auditorium (cavea) exceeded a semicircle (71 m. 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. Its layout resembles that of the theaters of Miletus, Ephesus and Tralleis.

According to Dörpfeld, there was an earlier theater on that location, with walls made of limestone, of which only a few remains have been preserved, mainly the foundation walls.1 C. Anti states that the cavea’s layout of the Hellenistic theater was trapezoidal in shape.2

The auditorium is divided horizontally by a broad corridor (diazoma, praesinctio) into two zones (maeniana). Details regarding the seating arrangement or the exact number of rows of seats remain unknown. As the archaeological evidence testify the lower section of the seating (theatron, ima cavea) was divided vertically by six radial staircases (scalae, scalaria) into five wedge-shapes, called cunei. The upper section of the seating area was divided into more tiers, perhaps twice in number compared to the ones of the ima cavea. The marble seats were not constructedof a single block, like the theaters in Greece, but of two different blocks.3 A row of marble seats of honour (the prohedria) was placed at the orchestra.

The orchestra’s layout was circular in shape (21,6m diameter), with three centers for designing the rows of seats according to Vitruvius’ prescription of the Hellenistic theaters.4 It was paved with marble slabs over a sub layer of mortar. In the middle of the orchestra runs a T-shaped passage, which can be identified with the Charonian tunnel.5

In the middle of each retaining wall there was a door opening flanked by antae, one of which bears the inscription “όρος ιερού" meaning that the building was incorporated in the sanctuary of Dionysus. These doorways provided access to a barrel – vaulted L-shaped staircase, which led to the lower section of seating,6 a design feature which also appears in the theater of Tralleis.

The Hellenistic scene building had a rectangular ground plan and was divided into five square rooms, which offered direct access to the orchestra. The scene was surrounded on three sides by the proscaenium. During the imperial era (1st century A.D.) it was replaced by a Roman scene, with a wide proscaenium and a splendidly decorated scaenae frons a few architectural elements of which are preserved, and with a pulpitum 2,3 m. high.

3. Sculptural Decoration

A statuette of Apollo Kitharodos, dated to the Late Hellenistic period comes from the area of the theater.7 A number of bases (at least twenty five) was also found inside the theater and the surrounding area. The majority of them belonged to honorary statues of eminent citizens from Magnesia and other cities and were dedicated by the Boule and the Demos. Most of them are dated to the Early Roman period and they honour both Greeks and Romans.

Bases of statues of Greeks that are dated to the 1st century B.C. include those of Diophantus ,8 Hegesippus,9 Aristodemos10 and Anaxagoras.11 Statue bases of Greeks that are dated to the imperial era: Pagratides ,12 Charidemos,13 Polydeuces.14 Statue bases of Romans: M. Popillius Laenas.15 It is stated that the latter was an ambassador and that this is the earliest example of honoring a Roman in a theater of the Greek world. The reason for this dedication is unknown. Base statue of Quintus Modius,16 dedicated by the Boule and the Demos. From the archaeological evidence it seems that this statue was made of copper. Statue base of Numerius Cluvius,17 dedicated by the People. Statue base of the father of Tiberius Claudius Zopas,18 which was dedicated by his son, during the 1st century A.D.

4. Construction

The theater is built with brick-shaped stones of local limestone and marble. The outer curved wall is build in opus quadratum, with stones, arranged in layers of the same height. The retaining walls are made of coursed ashlar masonry,19 a characteristic which can also be seen in the theater of Termessus. Due to financial reasons, those stones do extend to the entire width of the wall, but cover only its outer side, while the internal is filled by smaller and of irregular size stones. The stones rest on a row of orthostates with a smooth and flat surface. Opus caementicium was used for the construction of the imperial scene.

5. Date

The theater’s foundation is dated to the Hellenistic period (2nd century B.C.). From the earlier construction, there are only a few remains of the foundation walls made of limestone. The architectural components of the scene building are dated to the early imperial era, in the 1st century A.D. During the late imperial period, it was obviously turned into an arena for amphitheatrical games, or a kolymbethra (pool) for staged sea battles (naumachiae) and water displays.

6. History of Excavations and State of Preservation

The theater was excavated for the first time during the period 1890-1891 by the German directors H. Von Gaertringen and W. Dörpfeld, while K. Humann and R. Heine undertook the architectural drawings.20 The second excavation took place ten years later (1891-1893), under the direction of K. Humann and R. Heyne.21 Prior to these excavations, only the outline of the cavea on the slopes of Mount Thorax, and some remains of the walls were visible. The excavations were focused on the scene building, the orchestra and the retaining walls. At the end of the excavating research the area was photographed, plans and drawings were made, while the architectural remains were covered and today almost nothing of the monument is visible, apart from some parts of little interest. Inscriptions, architectural components and sculptures, seen by Τexier, were transferred to the Museums of Berlin and Constantinople. Today it is impossible for any excavaton to take place in the area.22

1. Hiller von Gaertringen, F., Kern, O., Dörpfeld, W., "Ausgrabungen in Theater von Magnesia am Maiandros", AM 19 (1894) p. 66.

2. Anti, C., " Il Teatro greco trapezoidale ad ali convergenti", Dioniso 11 (1968) p. 152 ff.,fig. 1.

3. De Bernardi Ferrero, D., Teatri classici in Asia Minore 3 (Roma 1970) p. 101, where it is cited the paragraph from Dörpfeld’s article.

4. The centers form a triangle with the obtuse angle towards the tiers. The usage of three centres instead of one makes the theater’s acoustics better. The rows of seats appear as parts of a regular circle and not as parts of ellipses.

5. Pollux IV, 132.

6. De Bernardi Ferrero, D., Teatri classici in Asia Minore 3 (Roma 1970) p. 101, table. ΧΙΧ c, where it is cited the paragraph from Dörpfeld’s article.

7. Mendel, G., Musées Imperiales Ottomans. Catalogue des skulptures Grécques, Romaines, et Byzantines II (Constantinople 1914) p. 366 No. 622. Schwingenstein, C., Die Figurenausstattung des griechischen Theatergebäudes (München 1977) p. 51 with note 5 ff. It was found in the area of the theater and it maybe comes from the earlier Hellenistic building. It could have come from a sculptural group that depicted Apollo together with the Muses’ dance. According to other scholars the leather shoes that he wears indicate God Dionysus.

8. It was erected by Anaxenor’s brother and was used later as a building material on the water supply system, the so-called north Building. See Schwingenstein, C., Die Figurenausstattung des griechischen Theatergebäudes (München 1977) p. 99, note. 7.

9. It was erected by the Demos. It was found behind the southern end of the Pulpitum of the theater. See Schwingenstein, C., Die Figurenausstattung des griechischen Theatergebäudes (München 1977) p. 99-100, note. 1.

10. It was erected by the Boule and the Demos. It was found behind the southern end of the Pulpitum. See. Schwingenstein, C., Die Figurenausstattung des griechischen Theatergebäudes (München 1977) p. 100, note. 2.

11. He was probably honored by the Demos. He was a musician, who played guitar. According to Strabo, it was a bronze statue. See Schwingenstein, C., Die Figurenausstattung des griechischen Theatergebäudes (München 1977) p. 71, note. 3.

12. 1st Century A.D. See Schwingenstein, C., Die Figurenausstattung des griechischen Theatergebäudes (München 1977) p. 100, note. 3.

13. 2nd Century A.D. It was erected by his son, according to a decision of the Boule and Demos. See Schwingenstein, C., Die Figurenausstattung des griechischen Theatergebäudes (München 1977) p. 100, note. 4.

14. 2nd Century A.D. The name is not so certain. The base was found at the south end of the orchestra. See Schwingenstein, C., Die Figurenausstattungdes griechischen Theatergebäudes (München 1977) p. 100, note. 5.

15. It was found in the north external wall of the theater. Dated to the 2nd Century B.C. See. Schwingenstein, C., Die Figurenausstattung des griechischen Theatergebäudes (München 1977) p. 99, note.1-2.

16. It was found to the south of the pulpitum. It is dated to the end of the 1st Century B.C. See. Schwingenstein, C., Die Figurenausstattung des griechischenTheatergebäudes (München 1977) p. 99, note. 3.

17. It was found in the north pulpitum. It is dated to the 1st Century B.C. See. Schwingenstein, C., Die Figurenausstattung des griechischen Theatergebäudes (München 1977) p. 99, note. 4.

18. It was found in the north external wall. It was dated to the 2nd Century B.C. See. Schwingenstein, C., Die Figurenausstattung des griechischen Theatergebäudes (München 1977) p. 99, note.5.

19. Müller-Wiener, W., Η Αρχιτεκτονική στην Αρχαία Ελλάδα (Athens, 1995) p. 80, fig. 33.

20. The results of the first excavating period were published in November of 1894. Hiller von Gaertringen, "Baugeschichte des Theaters von Magnesia am Maiandros", AA (1894) p. 38-39. Hiller von Gaertringen, F., Kern, O., Dörpfeld, W., "Ausgrabungen in Theater von Magnesia am Maiandros", AM 19 (1894) p.1-101.

21. Humann, C., Kohte, J., Watzinger, C., Magnesia am Maeander (Berlin 1904).

22. De Bernardi Ferrero, D., Teatri classici in Asia Minore 3 (Roma 1970) p. 105.
     
 
 
 
 
 

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