Gythio Ancient Theatre

Location: Town

The Ancient Theatre of Gythio: The ancient theatre of Gythio lies to the north of the modern city, close to the ancient town. It is a Roman theatre and consists one of the most important archaeological sites in the area. It was initially built in the 1st century, but it was renovated under the Roman emperor Augustus. It had simple stone seats in all rows except for the first, which was made of marble. The diameter of the auditorium is approximately 75m and some Roman buildings are placed behind. It is a small theatre, but still well-preserved.

This is also where the thymelic performances used to take place. The thymelic was a song contest dedicated to god Dionysos, which included a parade and a sacrifice to the Roman emperors. Today, although the site is abandoned, there are some cultural events taking place in this theatre every summer, as part of the Festival of Gythio. They include ancient drama performances, public speeches, and music concerts.