Theatre of Dionysos

The original 6th-century timber theatre was built on the site of the Festival of the Great Dionysia. During Athens’ golden age, the theatre hosted productions of the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes. Reconstructed in stone and marble between 342 and 326 BC, the theatre had seating for more than 17,000 spectators (spread over 64 tiers, of which only about 20 tiers survive) and an altar to Dionysos in the orchestra pit. The Pentelic marble thrones on the lower levels were for dignitaries and priests – including a grand one in the centre for the Priest of Dionysos, identifiable by the lions’ paws, satyrs and griffins carved on the back.