The Silence Stages

Since 2005 I have been visiting more than 430 ancient greek and roman theatres around 18 countries, taking photographs and information. These blog is dedicated to all that experience.



Desde 2005 he visitado más de 430 teatros y odeones, griegos y romanos en 18 países, tomando fotografías y recopilando información. Este blog está dedicado a toda esta experiencia.



Sunday 2 January 2011

Apollonia (Marsa Susa)

APOLLONIA (Marsa Susa), ancient Cyrenaica, modern Libia.

COORDINATES: 32º54'10.01" N // 21º58'29.73" E
TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Not urban.
DATE: First quarter of the III B.C.
TRANSFORMATIONS: At the end of I A.D. steps were added.
CAPACITY: 3.500 ¿? spectators.
CAVEA: Facing nort-northwest. 39 m. diameter. Only one maenianum with 28 steps and 6 cunei. In greek times 13 steps, in roman times 18 more steps were added. The cavea is not a complite semi-circle because of the presence of the city walls.
ORCHESTRA: 13 m. diameter.
STAGE BUILDING: It had a greek logeion (19,7 x 2 m.) but was replaced by a roman pulpitum (24 x 4,5 m.). Nothing remians of the roman stage building but greek building foundations have been recovered.
LOCATION: Apollonia was Cyrene´s port for over a thousand years, it is 18 klm east of Cyrene . The ancient theatre is facing the sea, east of the city.
BEDSIDE TABLE: Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006. // Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato. Rome: SEAT, 1995. // Di Vita, Antonio; Di Vita-Evrard, Ginette; Bacchielli, Lidiano; “Libia antigua”. Barcelona, Könemann, 1999. // Dal Bosco, Oriana; Grassi, Maria Teresa; “Mediterranean and Roman Libya”. Firenze, Polaris, 2005. // Goodchild, Richard; “Cyrene and Apollonia. An historical guide”. Tripoli, Dar-Al Fergiani, 1993. 



OUT OF PRINT: Visiting Apollonia´s greek theatre is like revival the last scene of the "Planet of the Apes" film. There is a feeling of end, of sandcastle, but with a incredible beauty. Take time to listen the waves from the steps. Take time to realize about the silence... a theatre converted into a huge shell, which surrounds a timeless sound.

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