Many, many years ago, around 400 B.C. Epidaurus was a place with a famous complex of hospitals and sick wards. This healing center was a place of miraculous cures, where doctor-priests cured sick people under the gaze of Asklepius, the Greek god of medicine.
The highlight of Epidaurus is its beautiful theater, one of the best-preserved Classical Greek structures in existence, built of limestone. This great masterwork of Polykleitos the Younger has legendary acoustics and the audience of the ancient times have been able to hear actors and musicians, of course unamplified, from even the back row! It is said that a pin dropping can be heard in every seat of the ancient theatre of Epidaurus!
Nowadays, the theater is used for performances the annual Greek Festival.
Epidaurus performances are presented every Friday and Saturday, from the beginning of July to mid-August. Starting hours: 21:00 for Ancient Theater of Epidaurus, 21:30 for Little Theater of Ancient Epidaurus.
And for the season 2018 here are 10 reasons to visit Epidaurus for a performance:
- The Acharnians: One of Aristophanes’ most explicitly anti-war comedies! (29&30 June 2018)
- Agamemnon: The first part of Aeschylus’ trilogy (6&7 July 2018)
- Plutus: Aristophanes’ last surviving comedy (13&14 July 2018)
- Electra: Electra, a late work of Sophocles, dramatizes the revenge for Agamemnon’s murder (20&21 July 2018)
- Antigone : Sophocles’ most popular tragedy (20&21 July 2018)
- Thesmophoriazusae: Aristophanes is hilarious! Euripides is upset after finding out that the women are bent on punishing him for his unflattering portrayal of female characters (27&28 July 2018)
- Prometheus Bound: A tragedy by Aeschylus, which dramatizes the story of Prometheus, who was punished by Zeus for giving fire to humanity (3&4 August 2018)
- Orestes: Euripides’ Orestes was first presented in 408 B.C. (3&4 August 2018)
- The Frogs: One of Aristophanes’ most curious plays (10 August 2018)
- Oedipus at Colonus: Sophocles introduces us to Oedipus, King Theseus, Polynices, Eteocles (17&18 August 2018)
Useful Tip: Most performances come with English surtitles
Find here full information about the Festival (programme, tickets, maps, etc) here
Enjoy this #TouriusExperience in Ancient Epidaurus!
*Written by Polymnia Panagiotopoulou
photo credit:JosevdH from Pixabay