One item from today that I learned about and experienced, which will positively apply in my life after this trip, is the restored theater we saw. This theater was located in Epidaurus and displayed the ancient Greek architecture seen elsewhere throughout the country. The theaters’ stones were protected from middle-aged people, who often reused them for their own buildings, thanks to the discreet location. It was constructed into the slope of a mountainside, providing a natural sloping gradient that eventually became overgrown, covering it from passersby. More importantly, however, there was also a small stone housing and shopping district, closer to the main roads. This unintentionally served as a shield for the theater, as most of the stones from the town had been removed and repurposed. The aspect of building locations will likely apply to my future as an aspiring civil engineer. Whether my future projects will be a stadium, housing, or other large-scale civil works, the first step will always be figuring out where to put them. Although I may not have to consider if future generations repurpose the building materials, I will have to determine the most applicable location for the civil work. Depending on the specialization I pursue, I may be responsible for considering building locations depending on distance to the nearest water supply, road, rail, or material provider. These considerations will be crucial for the realization of the project, as shareholders will need to be confident that the local population will use the civil work.

Above is a view of the Epidaurus Theater from the bottom. The conical shape allows performers to project their voice to everyone in the audience, as long as they face the seats.

Above is a view of the Epidaurus Theater from the top. We could hear a speaker from the middle of the stage at the bottom when they were speaking with normal conversation volume.

Above is a closer picture of the theater seats. They were dug out of natural overgrowth, so the flora will regrow if not maintained yearly.