DOI article:
Waldstein, Charles: [Excavations and discoveries at Eretria, 1891-1895]
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8681#0103
THE THEATRE AT ERETR1A.
91
hoped to carry a trench from the orchestra to the uppermost rows of
seats, but lack of time prevented this.
Meanwhile, the subterranean passage mentioned had been entirely
cleared. The work had been necessarily slow, since in so confined a
space only one man could dig at a time, and very awkwardly. Besides,
the interior was a closely packed mass of architectural fragments, as
drums of columns, with pottery, Roman lamps and other objects. A
discovery of importance Avas made near the north end of this passage.
Here the digging was carried more than 1 m. below the ancient level
of the orchestra. At this depth part of a marble chair was found,
imbedded among loose stones and smaller bits of marble ; there was
found also a rounded fragment of poros, belonging to the base either of
a column or of a statue.
THE CAVEA.
In 1833, according to Ross,1 some of the stone seats of the cavea
were still to be seen. He seems to imply that when he visited Eretria
eight years later these had disappeared, appropriated by the new set-
tlers as building-material. When our work began, at least two or three
seats of the ordinary pattern lay above ground on the upper part of
the slope. Nothing whatever was visible besides these, though the
general form of the cavea Avas still very clearly marked. The seats
were not laid on a natural slope, as is generally the case, but were
supported by an artificial mound of earth as noted by Ross (op. oit.)
This method of construction was rare in Greece proper, but ob-
tained in the theatre at Mantinea, lately excavated by the French
School.2 Durm3 mentions only the theatres at Alabanda (Asia Minor)
and Mantinea as so constructed. More are enumerated by MQller,4
but only in Macedonia and Asia Minor. Recently it has been found
that the theatre at Megalopolis rested in part upon an artificial em-
bankment.5 The embankment at Mantinea was supported by a poly-
gonal wall, and the theatre was made accessible from the rear by a
system of external flights of steps; but no attempt could bo made to
ascertain whether this was also true at Eretria. The cavea opens to-
ward the south in direct violation of Vitruvius' injunction;6 this is
the case also at Athens and Syracuse.7
Wanderungen in Gricchenland, ii, 117.
Baukunsl der Grie.chen, 211.
Journal of Hellenic Studies, xi, 2!)i.
Geppert, Altgriechischc Biiltne, 94.
! Bull, de con: hcllen., xiv, 248.
* Biihnenalterthiimcr, 30, n. 2.
6 De Architeclura, V. 3. 2.
91
hoped to carry a trench from the orchestra to the uppermost rows of
seats, but lack of time prevented this.
Meanwhile, the subterranean passage mentioned had been entirely
cleared. The work had been necessarily slow, since in so confined a
space only one man could dig at a time, and very awkwardly. Besides,
the interior was a closely packed mass of architectural fragments, as
drums of columns, with pottery, Roman lamps and other objects. A
discovery of importance Avas made near the north end of this passage.
Here the digging was carried more than 1 m. below the ancient level
of the orchestra. At this depth part of a marble chair was found,
imbedded among loose stones and smaller bits of marble ; there was
found also a rounded fragment of poros, belonging to the base either of
a column or of a statue.
THE CAVEA.
In 1833, according to Ross,1 some of the stone seats of the cavea
were still to be seen. He seems to imply that when he visited Eretria
eight years later these had disappeared, appropriated by the new set-
tlers as building-material. When our work began, at least two or three
seats of the ordinary pattern lay above ground on the upper part of
the slope. Nothing whatever was visible besides these, though the
general form of the cavea Avas still very clearly marked. The seats
were not laid on a natural slope, as is generally the case, but were
supported by an artificial mound of earth as noted by Ross (op. oit.)
This method of construction was rare in Greece proper, but ob-
tained in the theatre at Mantinea, lately excavated by the French
School.2 Durm3 mentions only the theatres at Alabanda (Asia Minor)
and Mantinea as so constructed. More are enumerated by MQller,4
but only in Macedonia and Asia Minor. Recently it has been found
that the theatre at Megalopolis rested in part upon an artificial em-
bankment.5 The embankment at Mantinea was supported by a poly-
gonal wall, and the theatre was made accessible from the rear by a
system of external flights of steps; but no attempt could bo made to
ascertain whether this was also true at Eretria. The cavea opens to-
ward the south in direct violation of Vitruvius' injunction;6 this is
the case also at Athens and Syracuse.7
Wanderungen in Gricchenland, ii, 117.
Baukunsl der Grie.chen, 211.
Journal of Hellenic Studies, xi, 2!)i.
Geppert, Altgriechischc Biiltne, 94.
! Bull, de con: hcllen., xiv, 248.
* Biihnenalterthiimcr, 30, n. 2.
6 De Architeclura, V. 3. 2.