Archaeologists unearth the ancient theater of Thouria

Greek archaeologists have unearthed part of the ancient theater of Thouria near  Kalamata city in the Peloponnese, the Culture Ministry announced on Thursday.

Thouria (Θουρία) is a village and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Ancient Thouria was the most important city in western Messinia. The ruins of ancient Thouria are located on a hillside about 10 km to the northwest of Kalamata, to the north of the present town of Thouria. Since classical times until the Roman era ancient Thouria was once on the side of the Messinians and once on the Spartans. Coins of ancient Thouria however, bear the initials of the Spartans, presenting people from Thouria as Lacedaemons.

Acient Thouria had many sanctuaries, but it seems that Athena was specially honored and Her figure adorns the coins of the Roman era. A famous temple of the city was dedicated to the Goddess Atagartis of Syria considered a form of Aphrodite. Her worship took place in sanctuaries where there were tanks with fish, the symbol of the Goddess as she was originally depicted as one.

Thouria’s theater is oriented to the west, overlooking the vast plains of Messenia, known in ancient times as “Makaria” (Blessed, Blissful), and in the distance, to the southwest, the sea of the Messenian Gulf, which in ancient times was called “Thouriates”.

The first remains of the ancient city theater, which dates back to the 4th century BC, came to light during excavations in the summer of 2016. During excavations in the summer of 2017, archaeologists uncovered the perimeter of the theater’s orchestra and several rows of stone seats. The orchestra perimeter is 16.3 meters long and three parallel grooves around it suggest the stage was movable.
Excavation on the site started ten years ago and it has been identified by epigraphic finds that mention the name of the ancient city, and references made by ancient Greek geographers Pausanias and Strabo.

For more images of the very lovely finds, go here.