The ancient theatre at Epidaurus, built around 340 BC by the architect Polykleitos the Younger, is the finest surviving example of ancient Greek theatre architecture. It seats about 14,000 spectators in 55 tiers of stone seating set into the hillside, and the acoustics are so precise that a whisper at the orchestra level can be heard at the top.
The theatre was not rediscovered until the 1880s, when excavations revealed it buried under earth. It had been remarkably well preserved. Today it is still used for performances during the Athens and Epidaurus Festival every summer — watching a tragedy by Sophocles or Euripides in this setting, with the pine-covered hills visible behind the stage, is one of the more memorable experiences available in Greece. Even without a performance, standing in the orchestra and speaking at normal volume while a friend climbs to the top row is an essential experiment.