Theatre Design & Technology - May 1966 - 18

at various periods of the year in each location, and
the date for the festival or festivals at each. We
know, for example, that the Theatre of Dionysus in
Athens faces the audience slightly east of south and
that plays were performed from early morning until
late afternoon. In early April when the City Dionysia
was scheduled or in late January when the Lenaea
was celebrated, the sun is low enough in the sky to
interfere with easy visibility in the western section
of the auditorium until noon, and in the eastern
section after noon. However, the prevailing wind
during these months blows from the seaport Piraeus
{to the south of the city}, and is channeled toward
the hi II of the Acropolis between parallel ridges of
hills running from north to south. Hence, the audibility is helped by the wind, even though the visibility is hindered by the sun.
Most studies of the location of this earliest of
theatres indicate that the primary consideration was
its proximity to the Temple of Dionysus, already in
existence, with which the performances were associated; and that since it was the first such edifice,
there is small likelihood of any consideration of
visibility or audibility. But for several centuries
thereafter many other theatres were built in various
locations--on the Greek mainland, on Sicily, on the
islands of the Aegean, in southern Italy, and in Asia
Minor--which were not limited in their location by an
existing temple and which might well have been
placed, as happened to be the situation at Athens,
to take advantage of the audi bi Iity deri ved from the
usual direction of the wind.
Diagram:

Dr. Max - Ferdinand

It is, fortunately, possible to determine the direction
of the winds around the Mediterranean at the time
when these theatres were planned. A study published in 1961 by E. G. Mariolopoulos,2 Professor
of Meteorology in the University of Athens, indicates that no alteration has taken place in the general pattern of wind movement from place to place
and from season to season. It may be that alterations
in foliage in a particular location have had a slight
effect for that specific theatre, and in each instance it would be necessary to study the effect of
the terrain {such as the two ridges of hills at Athens}
in channeling air currents toward the auditorium;
but the basic wind patterns at various locations
during various seasons today appear to correspond
to those studied and noted by the ancient Greeks,
who recogn ized the importance of th is element
sufficiently to name and record its different directions. The Tower of the Winds stands north of
the Acropol is to show Greek know ledge of and concern with breezes, from the gentle Zephyr to the
rude Boreas; and their literature is full of allusions
to the winds. From these manifestations, it would
seem logical that a building designed to last
centuries and to accommcdate a large portion of the
local population, and in which they were to hear
their greatest poets' words in a religious celebration, might have been planned by Greek architects
to seek help from the strongest wind-god of the
vicin ity.

Location and Orientation of Greek Theatres

Gerh~'user

POMPfJI

DODONA

)~
~~...J,/7
~ IEGrs"A

(?j

/
TYNDARII
4'TADRHIt'A

fRAClEA '1ltJOA

CAlMllA

...

S',RAKUI
AKRAE

() r

\.'-~fOI
L-,,-~_ D ,PHilOI

. , lOCR!

,'-

__..._ItMOS

-....-1"

TriERA
J

----

" GORTYN~

r:.~
C KOI
_
CJ_.KNIDOI - -

HA(;N'II"

MllET~~,?HERAKlfIAc

-~ '--. PRlf~E

I OSITT

THEATRE DfSIGN AND rrcHNOL~Y

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - May 1966