Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus

The Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus is perced on the slopes of the small hilly Nisi (meaning Island in Greek) peninsula and actually sits immediately below the Acropolis. It is sometimes confused with the more iconic theatre located some 10 kms away at the Healing Sanctuary of Asclepius. The Little Theater dates from the mid-4th century BC and is a typical example of an ancient Greek theater. Unlike the more sought-after Ancient Theater of Asclepius which was designed to seat large numbers of spectators, this one was designed to meet the needs of the inhabitants of the ancient city of Epidaurus itself. It features 9 tiers with rows of benches, seating around 2000 patrons. All the benches and thrones of the theatre carry inscriptions with the names of the donors. From the inscriptions, it is revealed that the theater was dedicated to Dionysus and underwent multiple phases of construction that continued into the Hellenistic period. During the Roman period, the orchestra became semi-circular and the original stage building was replaced with a new one built closer to the auditorium.

The ancient theater was in use for around 700 years before being abandoned and eventually degraded. For almost 18 centuries lay underground, covered by an olive grove, before rediscovered in the early 1970s. A second restricted investigation was carried out in 1989 without entirely revealing the whole structure. Excavations have been continuing to the present day, accompanied by the reconstruction of the ancient theater.

Thanks to the "Musical July" organized annually by the Athens and Epidaurus Festival in Little Epidaurus, as it prevailed to name the theater of Ancient (Old) Epidaurus, the use of the Little Theatre has been resurrected and every summer hosts a season of performances and other cultural events, having its own fanatical audience.