Aeschylus Returns To Theater of Dionysus 2,500 Years Later

Modern picture of the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens, where many of Aeschylus's plays were performed (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For the first time after 2,500 years, the words of ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus and music will be heard at the ancient open-air Theater of Dionysus, on the southern slope of the Athens Acropolis, in a single performance on Saturday, September 22.

Dedicated to Greece's archaeologists and all those working on the preservation and restoration of the country's ancient theaters, the concert will feature the world premiere of noted composer George Kouroupos' work "Monologue", which is based on two monologues from Aeschylus' tragedy Prometheus Bound.

The Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus is a major open-air theater on the southern slope of the Athens Acropolis and one of the earliest preserved in Athens. It was dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine and the patron of drama and hosted the city's Dionysia festival in honor Dionysus.

These dramatic festivals were competitive among playwrights and involved the production of four plays, three tragedies and one satyr play featuring lighter themes. It was the venue of the first performances of the plays of the classical era tragedians (who competed there and whose works survive today) Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Menander, and the comedies of Aristophanes. Aeschylus, in fact, won the competition of 480 BC in the Theater of Dionysus with his famous Oresteia trilogy (Agamemnon, Choephori and Eumenidis).

Aptly, the Aeschylean monologues that will be heard in this unique performance come from another trilogy, as Prometheus Bound is the first play in a trilogy referred to as the Prometheia and survives in full, whereas the second and third plays, Prometheus the Fire-Bringer and Prometheus Unbound, survive only in fragments.

It is of immense historic significance as it is here that the masterpieces of ancient drama were first performed.

The Greek authorities announced in late 2009 a 6-year, 6 million euro program for the partial restoration of the ruined marble theater, slated for completion by 2015, which includes extensive modern additions to the surviving stone seats.

A small section of the theater's stone seating, which could hold up to 15,000 spectators, still survives, to which restorers will gradually add several tiers using both recovered ancient fragments and new stone. Retaining walls and other parts of the building will also be strengthened. (AMNA)