The Theater at Epidaurus. Credit: Hansueli Krapf /Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0The ancient mystery of the great sound quality at the ancient Greek theater of Epidaurus has finally been solved, researchers posit in a recent study.
Scientists have been wondering about the high sound quality of Epidaurus’ theater for decades, developing certain theories along the way.
The ancient theater of Epidaurus was designed by Polykleitos in the 4th century BC. The original 34 rows were extended in Roman times by another 21 rows. It seats up to 14,000 people.
The theater is admired for its exceptional acoustics, which permit almost perfect intelligibility of un-amplified spoken words from the proscenium to all 14,000 spectators, regardless of their seating.
Some even claim that audiences are able to hear a pin drop, or a match being struck, from any seat in the house.
