Ancient Theatre of Lychnidos
Listen at the stop, then read the transcript and follow the sources behind the story.
Listen
Transcript
Before Ohrid was Ohrid, the ancient settlement was known as Lychnidos. The theatre dates from the Hellenistic period and was later adapted under Roman rule.
Its survival is partial because later construction covered and reused the area. Twentieth-century archaeology exposed the remains.
Starting here prevents the literacy story from making the city begin with medieval Christianity. Ohrid occupied regional routes and political systems centuries earlier.
Under Rome, the nearby Via Egnatia connected the Adriatic to the eastern Balkans and ultimately Byzantium.
The theatre now hosts performances again, a reuse that classical architects would at least recognise even if they objected to the sound system.
Cities with long histories rarely stay loyal to one name, one language or one seating plan.