Introduction
The ancient Greek theatre was an amazing innovation on a worldwide scale, which constantly incorporated the “state-of-the-art” technology of each era. The development of the theatre itself as a structure was very impressive; from the secluded “orchestra” (dancing place) with the addition of the ingenious “koilon” (seating area) and the use of simple wooden scenery to the amazing stone complexes with the astounding “skene” (stage), with the wonderful colonnades of the “proskenion” (the front part of the stage) and at the two “paraskenia” (side additions to the stage), the imposing “logeion” (podium) and the “parodoi” (passageways) completely harmonised in their space.
Since the earliest appearance of the theatre (6th century B.C.), a multitude of technological innovations found application or were invented in order to improve its function and to serve the performance, such as: the “Charon’s staircase” (a hidden underground passage for the advent of Charon), the “trap-door” for the quick appearance and disappearance of persons and objects, the “Deus ex machina” a crane for the hovering and descending of determinant persons on the stage (precursor of the modern theatrical elevating mechanisms), the “periaktoi” the rotating prismatic constructions for the quick change of scenery, the “ekkyklyma” and “exostra” two mechanisms which were used for transporting the deads or objects on the stage and for the rapid emergence and change of the interior scenery (precursor of modern rotating stages on a wagon).