Barrows, Samuel J.: The isles and shrines of Greece (Boston, 1898)

II

ERETRIA

My second visit to Euboea was made some months
later, on the " Inselreise " with Dr. Ddrpfeld.

Eretria, which lies on the west coast of Eubcea, has
a special interest for Americans because it was ex-
cavated a few years ago by the American School.
The site of the theatre had been determined before
by the depression in the earth which suggested the
auditorium, but the plan and architectural history
were first revealed by American spades.

The theatre at Eretria has this peculiarity: it was
built on a plain instead of on a hill. The orchestra
had therefore to be sunk in the ground; and it is pos-
sible that an amphitheatre of wooden seats was erected
for the spectators. Afterward, however, the people of
Eretria were not satisfied with a temporary wooden
auditorium and made an artificial hill. The labor
and expense of throwing up and moving the earth
must have been very great. The orchestra was
therefore put down as deep as possible. Why the
founders did not choose a hillside to start with, I do
not know, unless it be that some specially sacred
associations were connected with this place. The
theatre passed through three stages of architectural
development. There are two puzzling peculiarities.
One is the existence of an underground passage, big
enough for a man to pass through, from the orchestra