Timeline for the Great Theatre at Ephesus, Turkey

281 BC (Earliest)
100 BC (Latest)
Initial construction of theatre, ima and possibly media cavea; an orchestra with a drainage channel; scene building with thyromata 125-100 BC (Hellenistic)

40-54 AD
Podium (stage) width doubled during reign of Claudius (Roman)
54-66 AD
Scene building enlarged during reign of Nero (Roman)
87-92 AD
Renovations: stage enlarged; two-story scaenae frons added; parodoi enclosed to create covered side entrances; second tier of cavea seating supported by vaulted substructure; analemmata added to retain cavea seating - Domitian (Roman)
prior to 100 AD
Third tier of seats completed; third story added to skene (Roman)
140-144 AD.
Proscaeniumen larged, Roman
210 AD.
Third order of scaenae frons completed, Roman
Late 3rd c. AD
Orchestra converted to kolymbethra
359-66 AD
Earthquake and subsequent earthquake collapses upper cavea (Roman)
359-408 AD
Repairs to strength analemmata (Roman)
ca. 700 AD
Theatre converted to city defensive fortification (Byzantine)
1869
Excavations by J. T. Wood (British)
1895
1895 excavations begun under W. Wiberg (Austrian)
1900
1900 theatre excavation (Austrian)
1970s
Excavation/restoration of cavea (Austrian)
1993-08
Excavation/restoration of cavea (Austrian)
1997-present
Cataloguing/restoration of scaenae frons (Austrian)
Basic Timeline for Turkey

Mycenaean Period ca. 1500 - 1200 BC

Late Roman Empire ca. AD 293 - 395

Phrygian, Uratian, Lydian Period ca. 1200 - 542 BC

Early Byzantine Period ca. AD 395 - 610

Persian-Classical Period ca. 542 - 333 BC

Middle Byzantine Period ca. AD 610 - 961

Early Hellenistic Period ca. 333 - 167 BC

Late Byzantine Period ca. AD 961 - 1176

Late Hellenistic Period ca. 167 BC - AD 43

Seljuk Turkish Period ca. AD 1176 - 1299

Early Roman Empire ca. AD 43 - 162

Ottoman Turkish Period ca. AD 1299 - 1922

Middle Roman Empire ca. AD 162 - 293

Modern Turkey ca. AD 1922 - present

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Copyright © 2009 Thomas G. Hines, Whitman College. All Rights Reserved. Last Update -3/8/09