The ancient theatre of Delphi is situated within the Temple of the Pythian Apollo. It is the largest structure in the Temple of Apollo and forms an integral part of it, directly connected to the myths and cult of the god. It hosted the singing and instrumental music contests of the Pythian Games.
The first stone theatre was built of local limestone in the 4th c. BC. In 160/159 BC, Eumenes II of Pergamon funded repairs to the theatre, which acquired a more monumental form. The modern form of the theatre dates to the early Roman period (1st c. AD).
The deep, amphitheatral cavea, circular in plan and with a total capacity of 5,000 spectators, is divided laterally into two zones of uneven size by a horizontal passageway, the diazoma, which facilitates the spectators’ movement within the cavea. The lower cavea, or theatron (theatre) has 27 rows of seats and is divided by radiating symmetrical staircases into 7 wedge-shaped cunei, while the upper cavea, or epitheatron (epitheatre), has 8 rows of seats and is divided into 6 cunei.
Many seats bear incised letters, a form of seat numbering in Roman times. There are also official titles in the genitive case, such as amphictyonon (“belonging to the members of the amphictyonian council”) and symboulon (“belonging to the counsellors”), as well as proper names of distinguished individuals.
The orchestra, 18.50 m in diameter, is encircled by a 2.20-metre-wide passageway allowing the spectators to move around, below which runs a rainwater drainage duct, the euripos. The horseshoe shape and paving of the orchestra floor with unevenly-sized slabs are modifications of the Roman period. Many inscriptions commemorating the emancipation of slaves were carved on the retaining walls of the parodoi between the 2nd c. BC and the 1st c. AD.
Opposite the cavea and orchestra rose the stage of the theatre. Of this rectangular stage building only the foundations remain, at a level lower than that of the orchestra. To the north of the main stage rose the proscenium, a small stoa with columns or half-columns, facing the orchestra. In the 1st c. AD the proscenium façade was decorated with a marble frieze carved in relief.
The removal of earth and the first excavations in the area of the theatre were originally undertaken in 1895, by the French School of Archaeology at Athens under the directorship of T. Homolle. During the interwar period, as part of the First Delphic Festival in May 1927, an ancient tragedy was performed in an ancient theatre, its natural setting, for the first time in 2,000 years. The instigator of the revival of the ancient theatre was the poet Angelos Sikelianos, together with his American wife, Eva Palmer.
Alpha TV News, 20 September 2011.
Ancient theatre of Delfi
Brief Description The ancient theatre of Delphi is situated within the Temple of the Pythian Apollo, in the northwest corner against the temenos wall. It is the largest structure in the Temple of Apollo and forms an integral part of it, directly connected to the myths and cult of the god. It is one the ancient Greek theatres preserved in good condition.
Ι΄ ΕΠΚΑ / Γαλλική Σχολή Αθηνών
10th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities / École Française d’Athènes
Documentation – Bibliography
1. Bommelaer, J.-F. «Das Theater», in Maas, M. (ed.), Delphi. Orakel am Nabel der Welt, Karlsruhe 1996: 95-105.
2. Bommelaer J.-F., Laroche D., Guide de Delphes – Le Site, Paris 1991: 207-212
3. Κολώνια, Ρ., Το Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο των Δελφών, Αθήνα 2009
4. Κολώνια, Ρ., «Αρχαίο θέατρο Δελφών» at http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/2/gh251.jsp?obj_id=4932
5. Πεντάζος, Ε., «Οι Δελφοί και ο Σικελιανός», Αρχαιολογία και Τέχνες 44 (September 1992): 72-75 Weir, R., “Nero and the Herakles Frieze at Delphi”, BCH 123 (1999): 396-404
Delphi, Municipality of Delphi, Phocis Prefecture.
The first stone theatre was built of local limestone in the 4th c. BC. In 160/159 BC, Eumenes II of Pergamon funded repairs to the theatre, which acquired a more monumental form. The modern form of the theatre dates to the early Roman period (1st c. AD).
The monument is higher than it is wide. This was dictated by the particular nature of the terrain, with its steep slope and, above all, the limited space available on the spot where the theatre was erected, in the northwest corner of the temple, between the temenos wall to the west and an earlier structure to the east.
The deep, amphitheatral cavea, circular in plan and with a total capacity of 5,000 spectators, is seated partly on the natural slope (on the north and west) and partly on artificial infill, i.e. raised mounds of earth (on the south and east), buttressed by strong retaining walls. The outer diameter of the cavea measures 36 m and the inner 9.25 m. It is divided laterally into two zones of uneven size by a horizontal passageway, the diazoma, which facilitates the spectators’ movement within the cavea. The lower cavea or theatron (theatre) has 27 rows of seats and is divided by radiating symmetrical staircases into 7 wedge-shaped cunei, while the upper cavea or epitheatron (epitheatre) has 8 rows of seats and is divided into 6 cunei.
Around the uppermost row of seats runs a rainwater drainage gutter, above which rose the north retaining wall of the cavea. The height difference between the floor of the orchestra and the last row of seats is 15.11 m, with a 54-degree inclination, ensuring that all the spectators were afforded an uninterrupted view. At each end of the diazoma was a door for the spectators.
Most of the stone seats are 0.69 m wide and 0.37 m high. Many seats bear incised letters 11-15 cm high, a form of seat numbering in Roman times. There are also official titles in the genitive case, such as amphictyonon (“belonging to the members of the amphictyonian council”) and symboulon (“belonging to the counsellors”), as well as proper names of distinguished individuals.
The orchestra, 18.50 m in diameter, is encircled by a 2.20-metre-wide passageway allowing the spectators to move around, below which runs a rainwater drainage duct, the euripos. The horseshoe shape and paving of the orchestra floor with unevenly-sized slabs are modifications of the Roman period. The orchestra was originally circular, with a 7-metre radius. The low encircling balustrade on the side of the cavea was added in the Roman period.
Many inscriptions commemorating the emancipation of slaves were carved on the retaining walls of the parodoi between the 2nd c. BC and the 1st c. AD. Unfortunately their text has been lost due to surface wear of the stonework.
A large base set in front of the west parodos supported the statue of Dionysus, tutelary deity of the theatre, dedicated, according to Pausanias, by the Knidians.
Opposite the cavea and orchestra rose the stage of the theatre. Of this rectangular stage building only the foundations remain, at a level lower than that of the orchestra. From the south is visible a platform measuring 9 x 4 m, with central arched niches in the outer wall and two lateral projecting wings, which bore columns and functioned as parascenia. To the north of the main stage rose the proscenium, a small stoa with columns or half-columns, facing the orchestra. In the 1st c. AD the proscenium façade was decorated with a marble frieze carved in relief, approximately 10 m long and 0.85 m high, depicting the Labours and other deeds of Hercules. These were probably added during the repairs to the theatre on the occasion of Nero’s visit to Delphi in 67 AD.
Conservation work has been carried out on the monument in the past. However, most of the damage has not been repaired, while many architectural members (seats and parodos wall tiles) are scattered around the whole area of the Delphic Temple. The cavea presents some subsidence, while the stones are badly eroded and cracked, resulting in the loss of large pieces of limestone.
The removal of earth and the first excavations in the area of the theatre were originally undertaken in 1895, by the French School of Archaeology at Athens under the directorship of T. Homolle.
The theatre is a monument open to the public in the Delphi archaeological site.
During the interwar period, as part of the First Delphic Festival in May 1927, an ancient tragedy was performed in an ancient theatre, its natural setting, for the first time in 2,000 years. The instigator of the revival of the ancient theatre was the poet Angelos Sikelianos, together with his American wife, Eva Palmer. Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound was played under the artistic direction of Eva Palmer. Three years later, during the Second Delphic Festival in May 1930, the theatre hosted a performance of Euripides’ Suppliants.
The theatre hosted the singing and instrumental music contests of the Pythian Games. The importance of this festival makes the Theatre of Delphi the cultural and artistic peer of the sporting ideal symbolised by the ancient stadium at Olympia. The theatre also hosted the festival of the Soteria, in honour of Zeus Soter and Apollo, whose celebration was instigated following the victory of the Aetolians over the Gauls in 279/278 BC.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism (10th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities).
Ministry of Culture and Tourism (10th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities).
38.482553°
22.500708°
584-592 m asl
| Name | Date | Amount (€) |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd High School of Heraklion | 26/03/2018 | 100.00 |
| Konstantinos Polyzois | 5.00 | |
| Sofia Pempou | 5.00 | |
| Panagiotis Polychronopoulos | 5.00 | |
| Theoklitia - Sotiria Protopapa | 5.00 | |
| Kostas Koliousis | 1.00 | |
| Adamantia Anastasiou | 1.00 | |
| Ekaterini Antoniou | 2.00 | |
| Ilektra Polytimi Kalogerakou | 3.00 | |
| Anastasia Christofilou | 3.50 | |
| Sokratis Sakellaridis | 3.50 | |
| Eleni Nikolakopoulou | 5.00 | |
| Chrysoula Ragkousi | 5.00 | |
| Vasiliki Pierratou | 5.00 | |
| Nefeli Pavlou - Mousio | 5.00 | |
| Ioanna Pappa | 5.00 | |
| Elpida Papadopoulou - Kravaritou | 5.00 | |
| Kyriaki Raftopoulou | 5.00 | |
| Nikolaos Xenos - Gavrielis | 5.00 | |
| Stavriana Neokleous | 5.00 | |
| Christos Bitsanis | 5.00 | |
| Dimitra Begeti | 5.00 | |
| Ioulia Bamicha | 5.00 | |
| Athanasia Panopoulou | 5.00 | |
| Panagiotis Tasikas | 5.00 | |
| Alexandros Chatzis | 5.00 | |
| Stella Chatziantoniou | 5.00 | |
| Filippa Foka | 5.00 | |
| Anna Fytila | 5.00 | |
| Spyridon Filippoupolitis | 5.00 | |
| Asimina Tsokana | 5.00 | |
| Panagiotis Tsiloglou | 5.00 | |
| Christina Reppa | 5.00 | |
| Ioannis Tzouliadakis | 5.00 | |
| Dionysia - Maria Moschovakou | 5.00 | |
| Anastasios Tarantilis | 5.00 | |
| Dimitra Sofroniou | 5.00 | |
| Ifigeneia Spyropoulou | 5.00 | |
| Christodoulos Skourletos | 5.00 | |
| Veronika Skouriali | 5.00 | |
| Ekaterini Bika | 5.00 | |
| Georgios Roumeliotis | 5.00 | |
| Panagiotis - Grigorios Tsingalidis | 5.00 | |
| Ilias Kapatsoris | 5.00 | |
| Giorgos Kefalas | 5.00 | |
| Nikandros Kepesis | 5.00 | |
| Haris Katsoudas | 5.00 | |
| Despina Katsouda | 5.00 | |
| Konstantinos Panagioti Michopoulos | 5.00 | |
| Giannis Karmanidis | 5.00 | |
| Maria Boufi | 5.00 | |
| Charalampos Karapapas | 5.00 | |
| Giorgos Kilakos | 5.00 | |
| Marianina Karaiskou | 5.00 | |
| Maria Kassem | 5.00 | |
| Giorgos Kamenitsas | 5.00 | |
| Angeliki Kairi | 5.00 | |
| Elpida Stratopoulou | 5.00 | |
| Athanasia Kalfakakou | 5.00 | |
| Evangelia Ioannou Paizi | 5.00 | |
| Elli Haritini Gkioni | 5.00 | |
| Nikoletta Georgakopoulou | 5.00 | |
| Konstantina Karameri | 5.00 | |
| Aris Manousogiannakis | 5.00 | |
| Konstantinos Vasiliou Michopoulos | 5.00 | |
| Georgianna Karthakou | 5.00 | |
| Panagiotis Marselos | 5.00 | |
| Fiona Kontostergio | 5.00 | |
| Irini Makrygianni | 5.00 | |
| Valia Lymperi | 5.00 | |
| Maria Lygatsika Ioanni | 5.00 | |
| Persefoni - Varvara Lamprokostopoulou | 5.00 | |
| Despina Lamprinou | 5.00 | |
| Giannis Lazaratos | 5.00 | |
| Stelios Kotsovilis | 5.00 | |
| Dimitra Konstantaki | 5.00 | |
| Iakovos Kyriakos | 5.00 | |
| Evangelos Kravvaris | 5.00 | |
| Panos Kourkounis | 5.00 | |
| Alexandra Kardali | 5.00 | |
| Apostolos Lampos | 5.00 | |
| Unknown Unknown | 30.00 | |
| Lela Bakolouka | 50.00 | |
| Afroditi Orologa in memory of Dora Andriopoulou, March 18, 2014 | 96.25 | |
| Loizos Avramidis | 137.77 | |
| Georgia Melenikiotou | 413.31 | |
| Marguerite Champeaux-Rousselot & Association Pytho-Delphes, France Marguerite Champeaux-Rousselot & Association Pytho-Delphes, France | 700.00 | |
| Mediterranean Film Institute Mediterranean Film Institute | 1.000.00 | |
| Usances of Certificates of Deposit Usances of Certificates of Deposit | 1.216.44 | |
| Students Community of the Gymnasium of I.M. Panagiotopoulos School Students Community of the Gymnasium of I.M. Panagiotopoulos School | 1.500.00 | |
| Fani Anerousi | 4.000.00 | |
| Polytimi Andriopoulou | 47.488.12 | |
| Theodora Andriopoulou - Athanasoula | 47.488.13 | |
| M2M MEDIA SERVICES INC | 1.395.77 | |
| Efstathios Athanasopoulos | 5.00 | |
| Sophia Pempou | 5.00 |
| Expenditure | Date | Amount (€) |
|---|---|---|
| ΑΡΧΑΙΟ ΘΕΑΤΡΟ ΔΕΛΦΩΝ ΑΠΟΨΙΛΩΣΗ ΠΕΡΙΒΑΛΛΟΝΤΟΣ ΧΩΡΟΥ | 615.00 | |
| ΑΡΧΑΙΟ ΘΕΑΤΡΟ ΔΕΛΦΩΝ ΕΚΤΥΠΩΣΗ ΣΧΕΔΙΩΝ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΣ ΑΠΟΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗΣ | 312.12 | |
| ΑΡΧΑΙΟ ΘΕΑΤΡΟ ΔΕΛΦΩΝ ΜΕΛΕΤΗ ΑΠΟΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗΣ | 95.600.00 | |
| ΑΡΧΑΙΟ ΘΕΑΤΡΟ ΔΕΛΦΩΝ ΝΤΟΚΥΜΑΝΤΕΡ | 8.184.71 | |
| ΑΡΧΑΙΟ ΘΕΑΤΡΟ ΔΕΛΦΩΝ ΦΟΡΟΣ ΤΟΚΩΝ ΠΡΟΘΕΣΜΙΑΚΗΣ | 149.32 |
| Description | Budget | Target | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restoration study | 100.000.00 | 109.999.00 |
| |
| Geological study | 10.000.00 | 110.000.00 |
