THE “GOOD”ACOUSTICS OF THE ANCIENT THEATERS. EPIDAURUS PHAENOMENON

It is a fact that the beginning of the acoustic design of large auditoriums is found in the ancient Greek theaters’ architecture, which were made in the wider Mediterranean area. Many of these ancient monuments are used even today for theatrical performances, speeches and music concerts, such as the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus, the Herod Atticus Conservatory, the Ancient Roman Conservatory of Patras and many others. In this project we will investigate the exact characteristics of the Epidaurus Theater, which contributed to this famous “good” acoustics, and how the ancient designers and builders achieved such remarkable results that we still admire after 2,000 years. The acoustic performance of these open and covered Theaters and Conservatories, which have made a significant contribution to the evolution of art and lively interpretation, are internationally recognized. However, the open theatre of Epidaurus was and will remain the perfect example of a large space that is acoustically optimally tuned to support the performances of ancient drama.