ΤΟ ΑΡΧΑΙΟ ΘΕΑΤΡΟ ΤΗΣ ΘΟΥΡΙΑΣ ΣΤΗ MΕΣΣΗΝΙΑ

Abstract: 

The ancient theatre of Thouria was uncovered in 2016 after a thorough geophysical and archaeological survey on the western slope of the hill where the ancient city was developed. The excavation, which continues to this day, revealed the semi-circular orchestra of the ancient theatre, with the drainage pipe surrounding it, as well as the first row of stone seats in situ. The northern retaining wall and the walls of the northern and southern parodos were also uncovered. The theatre did not have a fixed scene-building, but a wooden mobile skene, which slid on stone grooves that ran the length of the scene-building area. The stone grooves ended in the skenotheke, a large, auto­nomous structure on the left side of the orchestra, where the wooden skene was stored and kept. A similar mobile stage is found in the ancient Hellenistic theatres of Messene, Megalopolis and Sparta.