The Theater of Priene

  The Theater of Priene

Centered View From Second Seating Tier

The horseshoe-shaped theater at Priene represents one of the best-preserved and earliest forms of Hellenistic theaters built in Turkey. Ten kilometers north of Miletus, the ancient site of Priene sits on the northern edge of the Meander River just outside the small city of Gullubahçe, Turkey.

Far Right View Towards Center

The city of Priene is estimated to have been established around 350 BC, and the theater is believed to be constructed soon after, 332-330 BC. The project is accredited to the architect Pytheos, the same designer of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Although time, weather and varying political control has altered the ruins, they still retain many of features associated with the Hellenistic theaters. Since the Hellenistic Age formerly begins after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC the theater at Priene can be seen as a forefront design scheme that most likely greatly contributed to the Hellenistic age amphitheater archetype. The arching seating area excavated into the slope of a hill behind, while a two-story structure creating both a backdrop for the actors and chorus as the stage was placed directly at the base. It is also likely that the structure may have been used by the performers to enhance the experience of the theater as a sort of backdrop, backstage or as a set itself. The theater was relatively small in scale compared to later versions to come elsewhere, it could accommodate over 6000 people in its 47 rows of seating. Remarkably, the theater was in use for over five-hundred years.
It is also likely since Vitruvius mentions this technology that it was implemented in the Priene theater as well, that the theater hosted many large vessels filled with a certain volume of water and mathematically placed throughout the theatron (seating area) in order to assist the actor’s voices to resonate further.

The theatron supports forty-seven rows of seats. There are 25 in the lower division and 22 in the upper seating area, the pathway dividing the two areas is termed the diazoma and it navigates the length of the semicircular seating. The upper area is divided once more by were divided by 23 staircases vertically, klimakes. Archeologists suggest that square holes in the marble seating are in fact post-holes to suspend a shading canopy. The lower 22 rows of seating is divided by 13 klimakes, and these seats were most likely reserved for more distinguished guests; however, the lowest row of seating,nearest the stage, was assuredly reserved for important guests, patrons, public officials, etc.. This area is termed as the prohedria and many of the seats here were elegantly carved throne-like chairs.

It is also believed by many archeologists that the theater was also a host to political speeches and debates as the theater hosts a water timer that was commonly used for such events.




It is interesting to note how successful these early Hellenistic theaters are, that their design strategies are still in prolific use today in a vast variety of different scales as well. Pictured to the left is the Hollywood Bowl, an outdoor amphitheater constructed in the early twentieth century as a clear tribute to the Hellenistic Theaters, such as the Theater of Priene, to which it owes its design. 

Works Cited:Valière, Jean-Christophe, Bénédicte Palazzo-Bertholon, Jean-Dominique Polack, and Pauline Carvalho. "Acoustic Pots in Ancient and Medieval Buildings: Literary Analysis of Ancient Texts and Comparison with Recent Observations in French Churches." Acta Acustica United with Acustica99.1 (2013): 70-81. Web.
Heffernan, Amanda. "Priene.Theatre." Priene.Theatre. Whitman College, 2003. Web. 29 Oct. 2016.

Watkin, David. A History of Western Architecture. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1986. Print.