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