Kalogiannakis Michael Rekoumi Charikleia Chatzipapas Konstantinos Sound

5th Activity

Legents

In this activity, our students will learn about echo.

Ancient Greeks had noticed that in forests which found in the rocky landscape of Greece, their voice was reflected around. So they fabricate the legend of Echo, which say that there was a bride called Echo, who was known for her melodic voice. That girl, walking around forests of the rocky landscape of Greece, met Narkissos and felt in love with him. But Narkissos was in love only with his look, so he reject Echo's interest. Echo continue roving around singing, trying to be perceived by Narkissos, but she never become. So finally her voice stayed in those landscapes and we all can listen her, repeating our words....

Another legend that shows the importance that ancient Greeks have given in sound and music is the legend of Odysseus and Sirens. This legend says that when Odysseus was going back to Ithaca, he passed by the island of Sirens. To pass that test he shut the ears of his companions and he asked them to cord him to the mast of their boat, in order to listen that melodic and divine songs but not to lose their goal.

But beyond the legend they observe those properties of the sound and they use those special characteristics of it in their structures, like in ancient theaters. That is why we are now seeing their concave ellipsoid shape and that is why they also have such size, with a radius of around 17m. Such theaters is Epidavros and Herodium. In addition, we can also observe nowadays that the plays in those theaters are carried out without any microphone installation. And that is why we (the Greeks) use those theaters for plays and concerts, in summer festivals. Some photos of them are shown below.

Ancient theater of Epidavros

Ancient theater of Herodium

Kalogiannakis Michael Rekoumi Charikleia Chatzipapas Konstantinos Sound_Project