The Performances at the Theatre of the Pythion in Gortyna, Crete. Virtual Acoustics Analysis as a Support for Interpretation

The location of the so-called “small” Roman theatre of Gortyna (Crete), precisely at the back of the temple dedicated to Apollo Pythios, suggests a clear correlation of this monument with religious rituals. We may suppose that the theatre was used in particular during the Ludi Apollinares (Pythia), namely games and a festival dedicated to the God Apollo (held for the first time in Rome in 212 BC) or during the iso-Olympic agones as witnessed by the epigraphic sources of the imperial age. However, we have to consider also the possibility that the “small” theatre of Gortyna could have housed civic ceremonies or other activities related to the life of the Koinon ton Kreton, the federal assembly of all the Cretan cities which had its seat during the imperial times right in the space of the sanctuary. This paper aims to verify the typology of performances and activities that could take place in the theatre of the Pythion (namely if it was more suitable for music or speech) through virtual acoustics analysis. The study of the acoustics’ quality has provided significant support to formulate hypotheses about the primary function of the theatre of the Pythion at Gortyna