Misplaced Pages

#763236

40-589: It is held every year during the summer months (Fridays and Saturdays in July and August), in part in the ancient theatre of Epidaurus , on the archaeological site of the Asclepion . The festival includes musical, theatrical and other cultural events. They include performances of tragedies by Aeschylus , Sophocles and Euripides , as well as surviving comedies by Aristophanes ; some performances consist simply of revivals of ancient myths or contemporary plays written on

80-435: A democracy every man can make a contribution if what he says is wise. The herald warns Theseus not to succumb to the patriotic fervor of the populace. "If death were before their eyes when they were giving their votes," he says, “Hellas would never rush to her doom in mad desire for battle." Theseus reminds the herald that he does not take orders from Creon and asserts his right to uphold the ancient customs of Hellas regarding

120-403: A diameter of 20 m, constitutes the centre of the theatre. In the centre is a circular stone plate, the base of the altar or thymele. The orchestra is surrounded by a special underground drainage pipeline of 1.99 m width, called the euripos. The euripos was covered by a circular stone walkway. Opposite the auditorium and behind the orchestra develops the stage building of the theatre (skene), which

160-566: A paragon of moderation and Eteoclus as a man of such high honor that he spurned offers of gold to avoid corrupting his character. Theseus refuses to allow the women to see the mangled and decaying bodies of their sons, but says that they will receive their ashes. All will be burned in a common pyre except Capaneus who, because he was struck down by Zeus, will have a special tomb. The women continue their lament (“like some wandering cloud I drift”; “I have nothing left but tears.”) Suddenly, they spot Capaneus’ wife Evadne in her bridal dress climbing

200-534: A permanent fixture, and integrated with the Athens-Epidaurus Festival . The director Dinos Giannopoulos undertook the organization of the first Athens Festival, on commission by then-Minister of Culture. Today, the joint festival is organised by the "Hellenic Festival S.A." company. Between 2016 and 2019, Vangelis Theodoropoulos served as the artistic director following the resignation of Jan Fabre . Since 2019, Katerina Evangelitos has been

240-523: A point of wider discussion in the public sphere, generating acclaim or mixed reviews. Alongside the Epidaurus Festival, performances (initially solely musical and later theatrical) take place at the Theatre of Palaia Epidavros . The institution was launched on an experimental basis in 1995 with the "Musical July" ( Greek : Μουσικός Ιούλιος ) and met with great success, leading to its becoming

280-605: Is an ancient Greek play by Euripides . After Oedipus leaves Thebes, his sons fight for control of it. Polynices lays siege to Thebes against his brother Eteocles . Polynices has married the daughter of Adrastus, King of Argos. And so Polynices has on his side the Argive army, leaders of which are the Seven against Thebes . The invaders lose the battle, and Polynices and Eteocles both die. Creon takes power in Thebes and decrees

320-473: Is ready to concede, the women will not take no for an answer. Appealing to principles of common human decency, they beg Aethra to intervene. She reminds her son that he has a duty to uphold the ancient laws of Hellas and warns him that his refusal might be interpreted as cowardice. Moved by her tears and arguments, Theseus agrees to intervene, but only if the Athenian citizens endorse his decision. Confident that

360-846: The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra were performed. During the Greek junta , the festival stagnated and there was a general tendency towards introspection and withdrawal. During the Metapolitefsi period, and more specifically in 1975, companies from outside the National Theatre were allowed to perform on the stage of the Ancient Theatre for the first time, including the Karolos Koun Art Theatre  [ el ] ( Birds ) and

400-612: The Epidaurus Municipality . Constructed in the late 4th century BC, it is considered to be the most perfect ancient Greek theatre with regard to acoustics and aesthetics. Because of its exceptional architecture and aesthetics, the theatre was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 along with the Temple of Asclepius. According to Pausanias , the ancient theatre was constructed at

440-558: The Geneva Bible , derived part of the. geometrical code embedded in his house at Soulton Hall , Shropshire upon the ancient theatre at Epidaurus. The first systematic excavation of the theatre began in 1881 by the Archaeological Society, under the direction of archaeologist Panayis Kavvadias and preserved in very good condition thanks to the restorations of P. Kavvadias (1907), of A. Orlandos (1954–1963) and

SECTION 10

#1732797208764

480-554: The Hellenic Tourism Organisation was responsible for managing the Epidaurus Festival as well as the Athens Festival. It was officially inaugurated on 19 June 1955 with a performance of Euripides ' Hecuba (directed by Alexis Minotis with Katina Paxinou in the role of the same name) and devoted itself to performances of ancient tragedies and, from 1957, to performances of ancient comedies by

520-502: The National Theatre , where Alexis Solomos revived the plays of Aristophanes , starting with Lysistrata . In 1959, Karolos Koun 's performance of Aristophanes' Birds , with music by Manos Hadjidakis and sets and costumes by Yannis Tsarouchis , aroused both public approval and opposition and was finally withdrawn following government intervention. For some twenty years, the performances at Epidaurus were entrusted to

560-659: The National Theatre of Greece and to actors such as Paxinou, Minotis, Anna Synodinou , Mary Aroni and Nezer. In 1960 and 1961, Maria Callas appeared in Epidaurus in Norma by Vincenzo Bellini (1960) and Medea by Luigi Cherubini (1961), respectively. In 1965, the Damnation of Faust by the Paris Opera , directed and choreographed by Maurice Béjart , and Giuseppe Verdi 's Requiem by Herbert von Karajan and

600-710: The State Theatre of Northern Greece ( Electra ). In 1980, the Amphi-Theatre of Spiros Evangelatos appeared at the festival with Menander 's Epitrepontes , as did the Theatrical Organization of Cyprus with Euripides' Suppliants , directed by Nikos Charalampous . Two years later (1982), Peter Hall presented Aeschylus ' Oresteia with the Royal National Theatre , becoming the first foreign director to take part in

640-488: The Argives of their debt to Athens — which they gratefully acknowledge. Their gratitude, however, is not enough for Athena . She suddenly appears above the temple to instruct Theseus to extract a pledge from Adrastus never to invade Athens. After enjoining Theseus to memorialize the pledge at the temple of Apollo, she tells the young men that they will grow up to avenge the death of their fathers by sacking Thebes. Adrastus and

680-788: The Epidaurus Festival. From its beginnings to the present day, the Epidaurus Festival has welcomed the greatest Greek directors and actors, as well as many other great artists, including Yiannis Moralis , Yannis Tsarouchis , George Vakalo , Manos Hadjidakis , Míkis Theodorakis , Yannis Markopoulos , Stavros Xarchakos and Iannis Xenakis . There are also performances by leading foreign companies and collaborations with foreign directors, actors and other collaborators, including Peter Hall , Peter Stein , Tadashi Suzuki , Luca Ronconi , Valery Fokin , Thomas Ostermeier , Pina Bausch , Montserrat Caballé , José Carreras , Fiona Shaw , Gérard Depardieu and Kevin Spacey . Festival performances often become

720-583: The Preservation Committee for Epidaurus Monuments (1988 to 2016). With the work done, the theatre has been recovered – except the stage building – almost entirely in its original form. [REDACTED] Media related to Theatre of Epidaurus at Wikimedia Commons The Suppliants (Euripides) The Suppliants ( Ancient Greek : Ἱκέτιδες , Hiketides ; Latin Supplices ), also called The Suppliant Women , first performed in 423 BC,

760-460: The advice of the seer Amphiaraus , in deference to his sons-in-law, Tydeus and Polynices. Theseus observes that he favored courage over discretion. Admitting his mistakes, Adrastus appeals to Theseus as the ruler of the only city with the integrity and the power to stand up to Thebes. After a bit of reflection on the state of mankind, Theseus resolves not to repeat Adrastus’ mistake. He tells Adrastus to go away and leave him alone. Although Adrastus

800-591: The basis of ancient dramas. The Epidaurus Festival ( Greek : Φεστιβάλ Επιδαύρου ), also known as the Epidávria ( Greek : Επιδαύρια ), takes place in the ancient theatre of Epidaurus , which has a capacity of 10,000 and is renowned for its special acoustics. It was founded in 1955, at the same time as the Athens Festival, thanks to the efforts of the then Minister of the Presidency and future Prime Minister, Georgios Rallis . During its first years of existence,

840-406: The bodies have been recovered, but distressed at the thought of seeing them. It would have been better had they never married, they say. When Theseus arrives with the corpses, Adrastus engages the women in a loud lament. At Theseus’ suggestion, Adrastus delivers a funeral oration in which he offers the fallen warriors as models for the Athenian youth to emulate. He describes Capaneus, for example, as

SECTION 20

#1732797208764

880-400: The characteristic tripartite structure of a Hellenistic theatre that has a theatron , orchestra , and skene . During Roman times, the theatre (unlike many Greek theatres) did not suffer any modifications. The auditorium is divided vertically into two unequal parts, the lower hollow or theatre and the upper theatre or epitheatre. The two sub-sections are separated by a horizontal corridor for

920-541: The end of the 4th century BC, circa 340-300 BCE, by the architect Polykleitos the Younger . Pausanias praises the theatre for its symmetry and beauty. At a maximum capacity of 13,000 to 14,000 spectators, the theatre hosted music, singing and dramatic games that were included in the worship of Asclepius. It was also used as a means to heal patients, since there was a belief that the observation of dramatic shows had positive effects on mental and physical health. Today,

960-507: The festival's Artistic Director. Over the years, the Athens Festival has been able to host numerous notable groups and artists. Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is a theatre in the Greek city of Epidaurus , located on the southeast end of the sanctuary dedicated to the ancient Greek God of medicine, Asclepius . It is built on the west side of Cynortion Mountain, near modern Lygourio , and belongs to

1000-403: The full backing of the Athenian people. Before the herald can leave, however, a herald from Thebes arrives looking for the local despot. When Theseus tells him that Athens is not ruled by a despot, but by the people, the herald adopts a disparaging tone. His city, he tells Theseus, is ruled by one man, not by an ignorant mob that is easily swayed by specious words. Theseus responds by saying that in

1040-450: The gates, telling them that they had come to rescue the bodies, not to sack the city. This is the kind of leader men should choose, the messenger says, one who shows courage in danger, but does not overreach. His sentiments are echoed by Adrastus who questions why men choose war instead of settling their disputes with reason. The messenger describes how Theseus himself washed the corpses and prepared them for burial. The women are pleased that

1080-458: The invaders are not to be buried. The mothers of the dead seek someone to help reverse this, so their sons can be buried. The population of Plataea came to Athens as suppliants after the destruction of their city in 427 BC, a few years before the performance of this play. They were allowed to stay in Athens and, exceptionally, they were granted Athenian citizenship. This event may have influenced

1120-412: The monument attracts a large number of Greek and foreign visitors and is used for the performance of ancient drama plays. The first modern performance conducted at the theatre was Sophocles 's tragedy Electra . It was played in 1938, directed by Dimitris Rontiris , starring Katina Paxinou and Eleni Papadaki . Performances stopped due to World War II . Theatrical performances, in the framework of

1160-508: The movement of spectators (width 1.82 m.), the frieze. The lower part of the auditorium wedge is divided into 12 sections, while the upper part is divided into 22 sections. The lower rows of the upper and lower auditoriums have a presidency form, namely places reserved for important people. The design of the auditorium is unique and based on three marking centres. Due to this special design, the architects achieved both optimal acoustics and an opening for better viewing. The circular orchestra, with

1200-504: The organized festival, began again in 1954. In 1955 they were established as an annual event for the presentation of ancient drama. The Epidaurus Festival continues today and is carried out during the summer months. The theatre has been sporadically used to host major musical events. In the framework of the Epidaurus Festival, well-known Greek and foreign actors have appeared, including the Greek soprano Maria Callas , who performed Norma in 1960 and Médée in 1961. The monument retains

1240-426: The people will support him, he and his mother set out for home, followed by Adrastus and the sons of the slain warriors, while the suppliant women pray that Theseus will prevail. Some time later Theseus returns with a retinue. He dispatches his herald to Thebes to request the release of the bodies. If they cooperate, he says, thank them and come back. If they refuse, tell them Theseus will be in arms at their gates with

Athens Epidaurus Festival - Misplaced Pages Continue

1280-458: The play and its reception. Aethra , the mother of the Athenian king Theseus , prays before the altar of Demeter and Persephone in Eleusis . She is surrounded by women from Argos whose sons died in battle outside the gates of Thebes. Because of Creon’s decree, their corpses remain unburied. Adrastus , the king of Argos who authorized the expedition, lies weeping on the floor surrounded by

1320-549: The previous invasion. As the men depart, the women express their fears of additional violence. They hope a compromise can be reached but offer prayers for victory just in case it cannot. A messenger — a former servant of Capaneus who had been captured by the Thebans — arrives to announce the Athenian victory. After describing how Theseus forced the Theban army to retreat into the city, he reports that Theseus restrained his men at

1360-491: The recovery of the corpses. When the herald warns him against meddling in something that does not concern him, Theseus states his resolve to do what is right and holy. The herald taunts him to bring it on, while Theseus tells his army to prepare for the attack. He will lead the way with a sword in his hand and the gods at his side. The herald leaves for Thebes with Theseus and his men in close pursuit. They pointedly leave Adrastus behind so as not to confuse their current mission with

1400-487: The rocks above her husband’s sepulcher. Recalling her wedding day, she announces her plan to join her husband in the flames of the pyre. Her father Iphis tries to talk her down, but she leaps to her death eliciting gasps from the onlookers and a cry of woe from her father. As Iphis leaves, the orphaned youths arrive to hand over the ashes of their fathers to their grandmothers. The boys’ lamentations are laced with promises of vengeance. As he prepares to leave, Theseus reminds

1440-418: The sons of the slain warriors. Aethra has sent a messenger to Theseus asking him to come to Eleusis. The old women beg Aethra for help, evoking images of their sons’ unburied bodies and appealing to her sympathy as a mother. Theseus arrives. When he asks his mother what is going on, she directs him to Adrastus who begs him to reclaim the bodies. Adrastus explains that he supported the attack on Thebes, against

1480-403: The treatment of corpses, such as that of Patroclus . People are often willing to fight and risk dying to obtain the bodies of the dead. The Suppliants takes this characteristic even further, showing a whole city willing to wage war in order to retrieve the bodies of strangers. The theme of forbidding dead bodies from burial occurs many times throughout ancient Greek literature. Examples include

1520-462: The two backstages there were two small rectangular rooms for the needs of the performers. Two ramps lead to the roof of the proscenium, the logeion, where the actors later played. Finally, the theatre had two gates, which are now restored. The buildings expert James D. Wenn has observed that, in the mid-16th century, the English renaissance statesman and intellectual Sir Rowland Hill , publisher of

1560-468: The women depart, grateful for the assistance they have received from Theseus. The same story had been mentioned years earlier in book 9.27 of The History by Herodotus , in which the Athenians claimed the event as an example of their history of bravery. In ancient Greek literature, funeral rites are highly important to the citizenry. The Iliad contains scenes of fighters in violent conflict over

1600-512: Was constructed in two phases: the first is placed at the end of the 4th century BCE and the second in the middle of the 2nd century BCE. The format of the skene (which is partly preserved today) is dated up to the Hellenistic period and consisted of a two-storey stage building and a proscenium in front of the stage. There was a colonnade in front of the proscenium and on both of its sides, the two backstages slightly protruded. East and west of

#763236