Two and a half thousand ancient names have been carved into idols of the Ancient Theatre of Larissa. Are the names of prominent citizens who lived in the city or other city-states of the Common of Thettalon.
The Central Archaeological Council yesterday approved a request by Tziafalia for writing "corpus" (body list) inscriptions on the monument, in cooperation with French scientists.
The cooperation will enable it to stick, too, 8500 fragments of inscriptions, which have resulted from the excavations now stored in boxes.
Mr. Tziafalias said the "Nation" that his dream-and one of the following steps-the discovery and gathering material for the other half theater, epitheatro.
Today is buried beneath the road or second year (in a cemetery operated).
The epitheatro separated by 20 staircases in 22 rows with 15 rows of seats.
The ancient Larissa the end of the 7 th century. BC had the advantage of the other Thessalian cities, and prevailed quite a large area of the fertile plain of Thessaly.
The first ancient theater of Larissa was built on the southern slope of the hill "Fortress". The construction of the first connected with the worship of the god Dionysus to commit theatrical and musical and singing games, second in command of the Thessalian for meetings of the Church of the municipality of the city, called Market.
Entries for these are a small votive altar to the god Dionysus found near the theater where it is believed that there was a temple of the names "Participants' representatives of the city - states that participated in the Federation of Thessaly, who appear on the benches of the ancient theater .
The earliest reference to the monument comes from an inscription of the first half of the 2 nd century. BC found in the city. This is a court decision referred to in violation of an individual part of the environment of the theater. This enables us to have a point ante quem for the chronology of its construction. In the centuries that followed from the time the theater continued to be used in later Roman times indicated lithothiria and the space occupied by phase then it was backfilled.
The first ancient theater of Larissa was constructed in the first half of the 3 rd century. BC the years of the king of Macedonia, Antigonus Gonatas. It worked and about six centuries until the end of the 3 rd century. AD or early 4 th century. AD when it abruptly stopped its operation. It has the typical structure of the Hellenistic theater with three key elements: hollow - orchestra - stage, and orchestra with a diameter of about 25m.
Depth of the ancient theater was itself the hillside "Fortress" which was transformed into terraces for the placement of benches. A runway, the frieze served by the access of the audience divides into two parts: a hollow main theater and epitheatro.
The epitheatro separated by 20 staircases in 22 rows with 15 rows of seats, while tokyrios theater, with 10 staircases in 11 rows with 25 rows of seats, of which the first was in the order of presidencies.
The band runs around Mason apocheteftikosagogos to remove rainwater which penetrates the foundation of the stage with two exits south of this outer room. Oiparodoi with retaining toichoussozontai in excellent condition. It is made of white marble blocks with a masterful job carving.
The streets were marble paved lanes and that it was not just small access roads to the monument, but a big processional roads and the theater was integrated into the urban fabric of ancient Larisa. The road on the right passage communicated with the second ancient theater and then the main exit of Larissa to Falanna and Olossona. The left lane of the road was connected to the ancient market.
The scene is the best preserved part of the monument. It is essentially an independent, magnificent building consisting of four rooms with three entrances among them. The two middle rooms, interconnecting rooms functioned as clothing of the actors and playwright position. The two outer bearing into the south side functioned as cupboards. The stage has three main phases. The first dates back half a century 3. BC and contemporary with the construction of the auditorium and retaining walls. The four rooms were made of carved limestone from the quarries at "Krintiri" Tirnavos.
In the second phase, 2 a half century. BC front of the stage building, to the side of the orchestra built a colonnade, the limelight. It consists of six monolithic jambs and six Doric half-columns in a line who clicked on efthyntiria marble blocks. Above the Doric half columns based on the Doric entablature, who was placed runner parallel to the stage and occasionally got into stools desks linking the colonnade to the front wall of the stage. To safely retain the Meteora desks reinforced the front wall of the stage with an inner row of limestone. The stage had three entrances on the same axis with the entrance of the tent.
The third phase is dated to the years of the Roman emperor Octavian Augustus (28 BC - 14 AD) and his successor Tiberius (14 BC - 31 AD). Honorary inscriptions in honor of the two emperors were found on the foreheads of the cornice of the Doric entablature of the scene. At the same time removed the front row of the limestone of the side rooms and replaced with marble. Added also face inherent marble Doric half-columns with Doric imikionokrana corners and four carved pillars.
This marble as the epitheatrou, the main theater of the lane and retaining wall from the ancient quarry "Kastri" Agia.
