The Theatre of Epidaurus: The Architectural Marvel With Perfect Acoustics 

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I've been an actor for 20 years, and never have i tried a stage like the orchestra of this marvel. The acoustics in this thing are so insane, it feels like you're speaking through a megaphone! It hurts to think it was built +2000 years ago. Tons of Respect to those ancient geniuses.

I managed to go there! I stood where the statue of Dionysus would've stood and sang 3 songs, Ave Maria, Think of Me from Phantom of the Opera and La Habanera from Carmen. I was only gonna sing Ave Maria, but the people there wanted more so I sang again. Then a French guy approached with a request to sing Carmen like Maria Callas, and he pulled her up in his phone so I could hear it, so in a sense, I sang with Maria Callas in the Theatre at Epidaurus. It was a magical time, probably the best I spent in mainland Greece (I also went to Santorini, Mykonos and Zakynthos). That theatre is beyond insanely amazing. You don't even have to raise your voice to be heard up at the last row. Hell, you can whisper and it'll be heard! When I was first singing, the acoustics were so crazy that not only was my voice heard throughout the theatre, it was heard all the way down the mountain where the museum and the bathrooms were. That's how the French guy heard me, he came up to figure out who was singing and found me.

1:15 - Chapter 1 - The healing god 4:35 - Chapter 2 - Heaven and earth 10:50 - Mid roll ads 12:15 - Chapter 3 - From parodos to exodos 16:25 - Chapter 4 - Acoustics & academics

If you stand exactly at the podium spot your voice echoes and is amplified perfectly. It’s surreal.

I've performed in choirs at many venues modeled after this place. The first experiment mention was correct. The second mentioning the lack of plastics is correct too. The actual "seats" and orchestra "pad" material plays a major part in sound projection. Certain rocks/cement project sounds better than others. Think of acoustic guitars. The best ones are made of wood that has been studied and used for ages because of it's sound projection qualities. Modern architectural designers use similar wooden panels that hang from ceilings, some are curved pieces of wood, resembling bacon in a pan, or just flat pieces of wood. Sounds travel from the stage, hit the wooden panels, then travel to the audience's ears. I wonder if anyone who's studied this place has ever considered the sound reflecting capabilities of the woods behind the stage. That could play a part in the sound quality aswell.

This video reminded me of a paper I wrote in 1963 for my Theatre 101 course at UCONN. It was entitled "Seating style and arrangement in the modern proscenium arch theatre". It dealt with acoustics and vision as affected by seating arrangement, angle of floor rise, seating distance from the stage and materials within the theatre found on the walls, floor, ceiling and making up the seats. I got an A+ by the professor saying it was one of the best paper he ever read from a theatre 101 student. I thought that was a great compliment since I was a biology and not a fine arts major. He gave me a B+ as a final grade even though I had a 90 average on my tests. I was told by other students that only art and theatre students got A's.

Visiting Mycenae I wanted to go there... I was very close but I ran out of time. On my next trip to the Peloponnese, I will definitely visit Epidaurus! Thanks for the cool video! ✌

The ancients sure knew how to do acoustic engineering. This was surround-sound 1500+ years before surround-sound was a thing.

I can verify personally the acoustics of the theatre. I have visited many times both empty and in full house performances. The acoustics are totally amazing. If you stand in the virile in the middle a coin being dropped, a match being lit and a softly spoken speech of normal conversation can be heard clearly even at the top. Also during the performances actors speak, shout, whisper and sing and you can tell the difference. Even though Epidaurus is the best preserved theatre this acoustics are true to virtually all the ancient Greek theatres. Totally amazing

I've been there several times, both when it was empty and during performances. The experience is absolutely outstanding. You can definitely hear the actors speak clearly, no matter where you sit, but the other tests, a coin drop etc, I cannot tell for sure, but does it matter? I have also attended performances in two smaller Ancient Greek theaters close to where I used to live, Philippi and Thasos, and the results where the same: perfect acoustics.

I love your videos man! something about a British voice, and a bald guy with a beard makes learning random information very enjoyable !

I saw a play there back in 2000. I was in the upper middle seating area and every word came through crisp and clear. The theater was packed. My Greek was shoddy but I had no problem hearing the actors who had no microphones or other amplification devices. The musical insturments came through clearer than many concert venues I have been to and again they used no amplification. It is a must see if you go to Greece.

Friends of mine from University did a month-long study abroad program and got to perform Classic Greek plays (in English) in this amazing space. Still jealous! lol

Thank you Simon! I'm a full time single dad and my 9 year old is at home sick with covid so I'm home with him. 3 days into it and I'm getting pretty bored but I've been watching a lot of your videos from your various channels and I was very excited to see a new episode of geographics! At the very least you're helping this dad keep a little of his sanity 👍

I was there...sat about where the thumbnail was taken. My father-in-law spoke on the stage in a normal voice level......I could hear him perfectly!,,

I was there few years ago and I was shocked when I was walking around the very top and I can hear very clearly leafs burning in a barrel at the center of the stage (maintenance crew cleaning up). Amazing!

I choked on the "Shredding on his lire" line haha well done

That truly is an amazing amphitheater! The view alone, from any of the seats, is breathtaking. I hope to make it there someday.

you can be at the very top and hear very clearly. we climbed to the top and our tour guide stood in the center and spoke in a normal voice. you could hear her just like you were face to face with her. could even hear her whispering. amazing.

I always suggest to everyone visiting Greece to take a day trip there, preferably watch a play as well. Well worth the trip

I've been there twice, once to watch a Greek Tragedy in Greek. I could hear the performers but I couldn't understand the Greek. The acoustics are incredible. I watched a tour guide do the paper and the match about halfway up the seats, I could hear him just fine.

Simon. I can't get enough of your channels and all of your videos. Great work and you to all of your crew. If the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison Colorado, just west of Denver is not your 'videos to do list' then please add it. Thank you and your crew for doing such a stellar job. You guys/gals are true legends.

The central stone is called θύμελη (pronaunced thimelee) and is the holiest point of each theater. You cannot walk on it and is the geometrical center of the theater. It is the foundation stone (in Greek θεμέλιο (themeleeo) means foundation. You can understand the similarity. I' ve been there over 30 times. Literally every summer I attend 1 or 2 plays. The acoustics are great, but if you are to the upper level it is not so easy to listen. That's why nowadays microphones are used. There are also screens with captions in Greek and English to facilitate the understanding of the plays. Watching a play in Epidaurus is a unique experience. Many times I find myself traveling in time during the performance. As a Greek, I know the stories pretty well and the passions of the heroes many times bring tears in my eyes. Iliad, Odyssey and the tragedies was the school of Greeks; with those the citizens learned how to live a good life. Do yourselves a favor, come and see a play at the ancient theater. It may change your life. It is a must for every Westerner (and not only westerner). It all begun here.

One thing that I would be interested in is whether or not the experiments included a skene behind the stage area, and what, specifically it was made from.

It would be awesome to visit that theater and see a play there.

Just magnificent! Told by a tourist guide!

I attended a revival of ancient Greek play there in 2010. The production updated the costumes to the present day, and the performers made sure to project their voices. The acoustics are all that and more.

I've been there, many years ago. It is an insane sensation to speak while standing on the center stone. You can hear your own voice echo back from the seating area real loud. I asked my dad to go sit on the back row, and he was surprised when I demonstrated the acoustics of the theater. If anyone gets the chance to visit the theater, I highly recommend to do so.

Was there in the mid 90s and at the time it was empty but the tour guide did sound like he was using a megaphone as our group was near the top row of seats and as we left someone did try to sing and the clarity of the voice was very good despite a slight breeze at the time. The area was very beautiful back then.

Utterly fascinating, thanks for sharing.

I love your videos Simon!!! I also really hope I can visit this place one day :) Keep up the good work!!!

In case anyone wants a laugh, turn in your closed captioning… at the 0:39 second mark, it says “this is the great theater of epidurals “! 😅😂🤣. Sorry, as a mom, that was just too funny not to share! 😎

Oh look! It's Simon! Long time no see! Great video as always guys, really enjoyed this one

Another interesting video as usual. Good job !!!

I was here in 1982. The theater is amazing. The acoustics work both ways if the person on the stage is at the white stone in the floor. Some of us were in the back rows were talking when I noticed a guy walking to the white stone. When he stepped on it, I said "Look at that jerk down there" in a normal speaking volume. He immediately stopped and looked up at us.

I stood in the middle of this theatre. The tour guide grabbed me as he was talking about the acoustics. He asked me to sing. I froze up. The first song I could think of was the Star Spangled Banner. I sang the US national anthem in an Ancient Greek theatre.

As a Greek, i visited many times Επίδαυρος. It's a fantastic theater with perfect acoustic.

I visited Epidaurus in 2016 and it was absolutely remarkable. There's nothing I can say that other people in the comments haven't already, but if you ever get the chance to go you should.

There is a much smaller theatre of this type in Nashville TN. On the stage you can speak barely above a whisper and you'll be heard clearly in the nosebleeds.

It's amazing that auditoriums haven't changed a lot since ancient times.

I wonder what is being missed by not having the skene still standing behind the orchestra & if it's existence, or lack thereof, alters the qualitty of the sound projected to the audience.

I think I have been watching too much Brain Blaze as after mentioning using snakes I was expecting Simon to say "Ha! Snakes? The past was the worst!"

I actually saw a Greek play performed there as a young lad on holidays with my family back in 1980.

I once visited the amphitheater of Side, Turkey. Even with thousands of people the acoustics are phenominal - even when you sit on either far end of the ranks. Which sadly also means you can hear people cough or sneeze on the other end of the circle... 🤪😁 And yes: don't forget to bring a cushion! Sitting on pure stone is not very comfortable... 😜

This episode could have been a series.

You should do a video on the Troy Music Hall in Troy, NY. It’s from the 1870s and has some of the best unamplified acoustics for a auditorium of its type, and has an Odell pipe organ. It’s hosted a lot of classical music performances and has been used to record albums but many of today’s classical greats. (I grew up in a nearby town and have been there. The upper balcony isn’t for the faint of heart.)

The fact we need an academic research in the 2000s to figure out something they built in the 300s BC is incredible...

Imagine using squarespace just to catalog dank Simon/ fact boi memes. 😅😂😂

So cool. I want to go to an event there, and listen to some good singing.

I visited in 1991. During the visiting hours people experiment with the clarity by speaking to their friends from the orchestra. That is impressive enough, but approaching dusk when the performance begins the real magic is revealed. I have been in much smaller proscenium based auditoria here in Britain, being much closer to the actors, and have strained to hear the words.

How many tangents can Simon run on in this half hour. ❣️😘

15:30 Was the same dude that measured the size of the Earth when he was bored during the off-season?

I've been here, you can hear someone whispering on stage even in the farthest seats, we tested it!

“Jacque Lecoq” Don’t mind if I do 😂😂

the study that mentioned whispering couldnt be understood after about halfway up. isnt halfway up where the additions were made? i wonder if the additions might have effected the quality for those seated in them. as you mentioned the viewing angle might be better (you can see above the head of the person in front of you due to the steeper angle) but might that also change the quality of the sound that reaches the farthest seats?

Nice background music!

Yet another top video, Fact Boy. Keep up the awesome work, you money hungry machine. 🤘💪🤑

I kinda wanna go there and read off a prayer to esclepius

Polyclitus? I can't even find one!

Jacques LeCoq... Nice.

I was there in 2020 on my vacation to Greece. Very cool location with astonishing acoustics and some other great old ruins. Definetly worth the visit. Edit: I also did stand in the middle on the rund stone and its not only that you can be heard everywhere in the theater, you can also hear yourself when it is empty. The sound comes back to you with a little less than a second of delay. Not sure how it is when the thater is full since there werent many people. I also spent about 15min cuddling a little black cat at the house with all the well preserved statues and stuff in it.

Been there with my parents around 15 years ago when I was a kid and it really looks even more majestic than in the pictures. Even attended a performance but did not enjoy it that much to be honest. Definitely would have been more impressive if I spoke Greek. That helps a lot otherwise you are going to spend 4 hours sitting on your ass and the only thing you are going to catch from the conversations are names of some dead dudes you learned about in history classes. Worth visiting though.

I want to do a study of sound at Cap Ferrat. Hey ! Say nothing, these guys got a free trip to Greece.

Amazing engineering by the ancients

FASCINATING

shouldnt they do a study with the place full? bodies in a building have a huge affect on the acoustics

“the chorus erupted into the orchestra performing song and dance routines. The performers usually wore excessive and ridiculous costumes“ - So Bollywood. I was at Epidarus in 1990 when I was part of the crew of the Trireme, Olympias. Triremes, now there’s a good topic for a video.

Do the Silk Road!

We can visit these type of theatres in Assassin's Creed Odyssey game

Imagine standing at the podium. Getting ready to Orate one of the great Greek tragedies to thousands of people, and farting loudly.

If one had a team of people then one would at each height level ask how it sounds. If majority says good then mark that level and then as one experiments one will eventually see a circular like raising of levels with accommodation for seating width. No actual pre geometry or sound physics knowledge needed. In fact likely did it that way first then discovered the geometry as a result.

The name makes it sound like a type of dinosaur, maybe one that could sing perhaps... :P

Been there twice. The acoustics thing is definitely not a myth. But as a guy raised in mountainous rural Greece, I wouldn’t start my theory from the mechanics/structural part. They initially chose that particular place for a reason.Any hunter or shepherd knows what I mean. Not that this rules out anything else though. Maybe, apart from the skene, there was something else that we never knew about which could help amplify the projection Anyway, do visit the site if you can.

The missing two story skene made of stone has to have some effect on the acoutics. How did the researchers correct for its absence? richard -- “Somebody had to taste the first snail.” - The Nac McFeegle Kelda Terry Pratchett, The Shepherd’s Crown

Hello,supper~ you did cool upload-broth,

My wife and I are going this fall.

Aaand now I await the Biographics of Jacques Lecoq

I'm just glad you called it the Georgia Institute of Technology and not Georgia Tech University

Do a video about Pammukale in Turkey.its beautiful and super interesting in so many levens.

wouldn't the absence of the buildings at the back affect sound projection? no backboard to reflect sound

EpidaVros.

Parodus, where we get parody and paradox.

has anyone done tests when the theatre is full of seated audience?

Geo Hat!

It's a well-known fact that the ancients were quite adept in the production & uses of sound. The Hypogeum of Malta, the chambered tombs of Scotland & Ireland, & the Great Pyramid of Giza are just a few examples. It's also becoming an accepted theory that our ancestors knew how to harness frequency & vibration to actually MOVE objects. It's postulated, for example, that the Great Pyramid could actually FOCUS these frequencies, much like a stereo speaker & amplifier, increasing the strength of sound vibration. Obviously, they were on to something, as we still construct our performance halls in the same shape as the amphitheater at Epidaurus. The theory also ties in rather nicely with the concept of healing, as today we use sound waves to break up such things as kidney stones, & use ultrasound to produce images of fetuses in the womb. There's WAY more to the properties of sound than "meets the ear", so to speak - & the ancients knew it.

I know this video just got uploaded, but the closed captions are pretty bad with all the greek names getting the wrong auto captions.

Scientific studies have shown that beards contain fecal matter.

Tenth.

I find STI's make it burn when I pee.

Id wager the sound relies on the whole ass structure thats no there. The 4th wall of it prolly meant much

Niceee. In early

12:15 squarespace skip A video of a non-square space sponsored by....

Jacques Lecoq? You’re joking, right?

12:00

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You know, you never hear conspiracy theorists claiming that humans could have never conceived of such perfect acoustics at that point in time and that aliens *must* be involved. I wonder why. 🤔 Can anyone conceive of why those people think that the people of Africa and the Americas could not build pyramids while the people of Europe could build their own monuments? *Hmmmmm.*

first

if the gods taught humans about medicine, why didn’t they teach us to make a x ray machine?

Simon size doesnt matter! Smash that dislike button