Rhodiapolis Theater and Lycian theaters

This study titled ?Rhodiapolis Theater and Lycian Theaters? comprises 2 major sections .Rhodiapolis Theater was assessed in the first section and Lycian Theaters was assessed in the second.First knowledge on theaters in Lycia Region was obtained from researches of 19th century travelers. There were comprehensive studies carried out by D. B. Ferraro on Anatolian theaters. Among these, studies on the most widely known monumental theaters were subject of focus. As a result of increasing amounts of studies in the region in recent years, concerned literature is gradually broadening. With this study, a comprehensive evaluation was aimed also by the inclusion of examples which were not present in previous studies on theater.Methods and measurement elements for measuring theaters were determined within the scope of theaters? archaeometric and technical evaluations. In mapping works specifically made for Rhodiapolis, region?s thematic-topographic map suitable with the excavation purposes was obtained. Illustrations of immense objects and structures in archaeology are carried out by photogrammetric tools. In Rhodiapolis, two different types of photogrammetry, air and ground base methods were used. In terms of technical specifications structural features of cavea and stage building forms of the theater were examined. In terms of damage in theaters, both contemporary damage and natural elements such as earthquakes were examined. The most significant changes in the forms of Lykia region theaters were caused by earthquakes in the years of 141-2, 240 and 365 B.C. and subsequent repairs caused the Hellenistic style theaters reconstructed and reformed prominently in Roman style. Theaters were evaluated in aspects of preservation, static, architectural characteristics, visually and acoustically. A formulation was come up with to calculate the capacity of theaters. One of the first questions asked about a theater is almost always regarding the number of audience that theater can contain, which means, the capacity. In all the sources written on theaters until present day, mathematically ?practical and accurate? formulated methods were not found. It was also revealed that given numerical values regarding theaters? capacities are inconsistent with each other. In this thesis, a simple but very accurate mathematical method on capacity calculation was developed, explained and results of its application during examinations were given in tables.Work started in 2006 with Rhodiapolis excavations were concluded in four years with the theater being fully unearthed and hence historical and periodical structuring of the city was assessed. According to current findings, the earliest history of the city dates back from Geometric Era to Era of Principalities. Not much finding on Hellenistic era is available and the theater is the most significant of few structures belonging to that era. Due to the reasons that the topography upon which the city was built is hilly and lack of plain areas thereof and increasing population and settlement, urbanization in Roman period particularly in public centers were rather dense and crowded.Rhodiapolis theater is built on the southern slope of the hill upon which the city center was founded and situated in the southeast direction. Adjacent to the theater mausoleum of Opramoas, assembly hall in the southeastern connection, Opramoas porticus connected to the western analemma, temple in the northwest of cavea and restaurant-kitchen-shop complex are present behind the back eastern analemma..Most part of the cavea is reclined against the slope and diveded to 7 klimakes and 6 kerkides. There are 18 seating rows including the furthest back row of the cavea. There are 3 doors present in Cavea podium wall. Klimakes reaches down until the orchestra in the section where the doors are present. Klimakes is alternately decorated with elaborately created lion paws. In the lowest seating row, 12 lion paws are imprinted with their outer contours and this row is theater?s proedriae. Front analemma walls are built in horizontal-vertical order and back analemma wall contains polygonal structure. Back analemma wall is supported by two stanchions. It is understood that during the Roman era, the capacity was increased by the inclusion of five additional rows to the back most part of the cavea. Cavea was covered by baldachine and velum shading systems respectively during Hellenistic and Roman Era.Stage building has two floors including the ground level. It is predicted to be covered with a hipped roof. There are five doors in Proskene. Lintel of the middle door is in Ionian style. Upper and lower mouldings of Proskene wall are decorated with kymarecta and reversa profiles. Not much plastic adornment exists in Skenefrons. It has 3 doors and the one in the middle is again in Ionian style. A stone pulpitum exists. Hyposkene rooms are covered with vaults. Postskene rooms have two floors. From the corners of the ground floor rooms, skenefrons is reached by wooden ladders. Postskene room?s floor is of wood. Middle room of Postskene side of the stage building is also in Ionian style lintel.With the collective consideration of the construction style of the cavea, wall masonry, works on the seating row along with coins and scriptures, Rhodiapolis theater can be dated back to 1. Century B.C. Initial phase of the stage building was built in that period. After the total collapse caused by the 141 B.C. earthquake, it was rebuilt substantially also with the same materials from the initial phase in a totally different architectural style. Stage building and cavea are connected to the analemma by adjoining vaults which could not be preserved to exist today. According to a coin which is the latest finding from the stage building, the last time the building was in use was the start of 5. Century A.D.Until the 3. Century A.D., the theater was used as parliament building. Besides the existence of scripts on parliamentary decisions as an evidence of this, theater was also the sole structure available to be used as a parliament building in the city until the given date. The significance of the city during the Roman era was due to famous eurgetes Opraomas, famous physician Heraikleitos and Asklepion. The Asklepia festival which is mentioned in scripts obtained from the city, must have taken place in the theater. It is known through scripts that the venationes shows highly popular during 2-3 centuries A.D. were taking place in the theater. Two sella curulis seats obtained from excavations are unique among all other Anatolian theaters. It is known that in Roman era these seats were used by magistrats. It is understood that the kitchen and restaurant complex adjacent to the eastern analemma belonged to 2. Century A.D. during which the theater was most frequently used. Tabernae structures adjacent to the theater were revealed for the first time.Rhodiapolis Theater is considered unique in Lycian and Anatolian theaters in terms of fine works of its cavea, sella curulis and kitchen-restaurant complex.Second main section of the study comprises the Lycian Theaters.The earliest architectural structure related with a theater starts to be seen in the western shores of Anatolia with the last quarter of the 4. Century B.C. Possessing public buildings serving to the needs of the community is considered one of the leading criteria in order for a settlement to be considered as a polis. Theaters are among such buildings. Pioneers of Lycian theater architecture are building serving to the meeting purposes in early Hellenistic era and these are represented by Avşar Hill, Mnara and Myra Acropolis. Other than the given names, the start of traditional theater architecture dates to period following the Peace of Apameia.There were 32 theaters discovered in Lycia. Until today, only 6 of those theaters were subject to detailed examination supported by excavations. With increasing theater excavations and restorations in recent years, work on Lycia region theaters also gained momentum. In Lycia, while theaters are better preserved in cities where excavations are taking place, remaining theaters are facing the threat of natural and human related damages. Initial phase constructions of Lycia theaters were started in the Hellenistic era. With the addition of new buildings during the Roman era, a new architectural style named Greco-Roman was borne. While almost all theaters are built in public centers in cities, there are exceptional cases in which they are not built in cities due to forced conditions of topography.During the reconstruction and reformation process of Lycian theaters in Roman era, structural phases of Hellenistic era were preserved and only additions were made to cavea while most stage buildings collapsed by 141 A.D. earthquake were rebuilt after this date. Examples of Myra and Xantos belonging to Hellenistic era, are rebuilt in Roman era of 2. Century A.D. after becoming completely useless after the earthquake. That Myra had also a late Hellenistic phase was revealed with this study. Due to monumental sizes of theater buildings, evidence of unfinished work can be witnessed in seating rows, cavea and stage building profiles. Nonetheless, there are also the examples of Upper and Lower Balboure theaters where the cavea is left off as block of rock. Mountainous topographic structure of Lycia region forced theaters being reclined against slopes and especially the incline is observed to be higher in summa cavea. Lycian theaters are divided into three groups in terms of its sizes of cavea. The majority of theaters have moderate sizes. Large size theaters are in large cities of Lycia. The maximum seat capacity theater of Lycia is Myra Theater with 10800 people. Cavea of transition period theaters in Lycia Region consist of 2 maenianum and furnicatum vaults opening to diazoma are present. Kibyra in Lycia region is the only example which contains 3 maenianum. Cavea podium walls are only present in Myra, Rhodiapolis, Simena and Phaselis Theaters. After examining analemma walls, it is suggested the first time that cavea of Antiphellos and Kyaneai theaters were enlarged during the Roman era. Following the earthquake of 2. Century A.D., in some theaters thin frames were used in party walls with bosse in mid section.Used as spolia in one of the summa cavea galleries of Myra Theater, inscripted seating row points out to late Hellenistic cavea. Among Lycia theaters only Limyra and Myra possess vaulted arcade infrastructures and deep Roman era architectural influences are visible in both of them. Since the majority of Lycia region theaters are moderate in size, many of the stage buildings have two floors. On the other hand, theaters of Kibyra, Myra and Tlos have 3 floor stage buildings. Proskene arrangements of the majority of stage buildings consisted of Doric style triglif and metop. The earliest examples of adornments belong to late Hellenistic and early Roman era. Adornments of Patara, Limyra, Myra, Tlos and Xanthos Theaters start from mid Antonines era and mostly continue to be dated through late Antonines and early Severus eras.In the examples of Myra, Patara, Telmessos and Xanthos, archeological evidence indicating that venations and munera events were taking place during the Roman era. Figures depicting the hunters and animals in venations events were seen in Xanthos and Myra Theaters? parapet walls were seen for the first time with this study. Through inscriptions, it is known that these events were also taking place in other Lycian Theaters. Thus, it is revealed that events which were popular during Roman era were also being realized in most of the Lycian Theaters.The fact that Lycia is the most theater possessing region in Anatolia and that pioneers of theaters were present on this soil since Classic and Early Hellenistic era reveals in fact that theater culture was present much earlier than predicted and Lycians embraced this culture to a large extend.