Theatron (the seeing place) is the viewing area of a
Greek theatre, where the audience sat to watch the
performance of a Greek play. It derives from the Greek
word for the viewing of ritual ceremonies.
Cavea [Greek: koilon, a hollow or cavity] the
auditorium or banks of seats in a Greek theatre. The
hollowing out of a suitably sited, naturally shaped
hillside or the erection of a building with a similar shape
to create an auditorium. Acoustic quality, that is the
shaping of the Cavea as a segment of a horn or
megaphone, was a critical feature of its design. In the
early theatres the audience stood or sat on the grass of
the hillside. Later seats were introduced made of wood
called ikrea; later still benches were cut from the rock
out of the hillside or were made from stone. Some such
auditoria were also designed to collect rainwater to
supply the local community with their water needs and
had drainage channels for this purpose which led to
underground cisterns.
Orchestra orkhestra , comes from the verb ὀρκέομαι,
orkeomai , which means dancing; it marked the
ground-level area where the chorus performed, where
the ritualistic dancing and singing of the chorus took place. Originally it was rectangular, but laterr it became a circular or
semicircular. It was the space located between the lower floor of the auditorium and the stage, and was the central space in a
Greek theatre. Generally either at the centre of the Orchestra or to one side was situated the altar dedicated to Dionysus, known as
the thymele.
Diazoma ( Greek: διάζωμα "belt") a term used to describe wide annular horizontal corridor or passageway which separated the
lower bank of seats from the upper bank of seats, called the epitheatron, in the Cavea of an ancient Greek theatre.
Kerkis [latin Cuneus] were the wedge-shaped sections of banks of stone seats of the Cavea where the audience sat. separated by
mounting staircases (Klimakes) made from the same material.
Skene (the dressing room) was the Scene building the flat-roofed stage building, which might be a non-permanent one, placed at
the rear of the orchestra. It could represent a palace or a cave. It generally had a door from which actors could emerge.
Proskene [Proscenium] the ground-level portion immediately in front of the skene was used as an acting area; in Hellenistic
period, the proskenion was a raised platform in front of the skene; the skene eventually included two levels, a lower level with a
roof (the Hellenistic logeion or stage) and the second story skene with openings for entrances (thyromata)
Paraskenion side additions to the skene. These were one or two storey side wings on either side of the proskenion; which could
have columns which supporting a frieze.
Parodos the two entrances on either side of the orchestra giving access to it were called the parodoi.
Periaktoi the 3-sided revolving mechanisms placed each side of the stage painted with scenery, which could change as the play
unfolded.
Logeion [latin pulpitum or greek λογεῖον] The raised platform or stage behind the orchestra in front of the skene on which actors
could speak; the roof of the proskenion could be used for this purpose
Thymele Of controversial position and function. Can refer to the mid-point of the Orchestra, which might be marked by a stone or
platform. Or it can refer to a small, possibly moveable altar used to make sacrifices to Dionysus; both of these were
called thymele. During the action of the play the chorus danced or stood around the thymele.
