Lefkada, Ancient Theatre - 2024

Its location is approximately 3km south of the modern city of Lefkada, on the NE slope of the middle hill of Koulmos, on a slope covered with olive trees and offering a panoramic view of the channel and the coastal plain, where the ancient city lay. Little information was known about the theater until 2015, and it came from the test sections, which had been made in 1901 by E. Kruger. The sections were buried after the completion of the work and the location of the theater over time was no longer known, as it was completely covered by olive groves and makeshift warehouses. The special geomorphological characteristics of the area and the surface ancient remains helped in the re-identification of the location of the theater in 1997, by the then 12th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities. Systematic excavations resumed in 2017, by Olympia Vikatou, which until 2023 revealed the theatre (Fig. 1).

The theatre has a northeast–southwest orientation and is divided by 13 steps and 12 stands, with the main theatre having 21 rows of seats, above which was likely a diazoma (cavea), or dividing walkway. It is projected to hold 3,500 spectators in the rows, while at full capacity it might have stretched to 10,000 or 11,000. Excavators also discovered three stone thrones elaborately decorated with engraved lion paws, dolphins, birds, and a siren (Fig. 3.88 ), perhaps designated for prominent persons. The theatre was likely modified in later periods, but seems to have declined in significance during the Roman period and was later abandoned, with much material likely removed for additional construction nearby. The ancient theatre is understood to have been constructed in the fourth century BC, at a time when the city was experiencing great prosperity. It is reported as the first known theatre in the Ionian islands. Excavation up to 2023 revealed most of the tiered seating (cavea), the orchestra and drainage channel (eurypos), the side entrance (paradoi), walls of the cavea, and some of the stage (Fig. 3.87 ); however, work is challenging as the site is generally in a poor state of preservation after extensive human activity and cultivation.