Theatre of Dionysus, Ancient Greek theatre at Acropolis of Athens, Greece

The Theatre of Dionysus is an ancient Greek theatre on the south slope of the Acropolis in Athens. Its semicircular koilon had 78 rows of stone seating divided by a circular walkway, with 67 marble seats for dignitaries in the central lower rows. The orchestra floor is paved with grey, tan and pale pink slabs in concentric bands around a central diamond motif, and a fragmentary raised stage building stands behind it.

The first orchestra terrace was laid out on the south slope of the Acropolis in the mid- to late sixth century BC, and the City Dionysia was held there. The theatre reached its greatest extent in the fourth century BC under the epistates of Lycurgus, when it could hold up to 25,000 spectators. It stayed in use into the Roman period, decayed in the Byzantine era, and was excavated and restored in the nineteenth century.

The name honors the god of wine and theater, to whom performances were dedicated here. The front rows still bear inscriptions showing which priests and officials sat there.

Access is through the shared ticket system for the Acropolis site, which allows entry to several locations. Guided tours are offered daily in multiple languages and help with understanding the layout.

One of the thrones in the first row features a footrest shaped like satyr feet. These seats were made entirely of marble and served priests during performances lasting several days.