Ancient Theatre of Eretria

The ancient theater of Eretria, located in central Evia, is the most impressive of ancient Eretria’s monuments. The fact that the structure was built on an artificial hill rather than an existing hillside is remarkable and surprising. During his heyday, the theater could seat 6,300 people.

It began sometime in the 5th century BC, most likely after the Persians had passed through and destroyed the city. The orchestra and the stage were on the same level. In the 4th century BC, the largest edge of the saw was… The orchestra then entered three meters below the level of the stage, in eleven rows with ten scales each. The difference in height between the stage and the orchestra was bridged by a domed underground passage, from which he derived the orchestra’s center.
Local limestone was used for the foundation of the theater, as well as limestone for the lanes. To reduce the height of the theater’s hollow, the lanes were angled towards the orchestra. After the Romans destroyed the theater in 198 BC, it was rebuilt with more affordable materials. The front Ionic columns were replaced with Doric type columns.

Today, visitors can see the ruins of the stage and the vaulted underground passage that leads to the orchestra’s center. Unfortunately, looters have taken a large portion of the rows of seats. The American School of Archaeology excavated the monument, and Local Antiquities is currently working on its restoration.