Power is never really won, You earn it and win it by caring

   When citizens interested create culture. 

   The ancient theater Aharnon definitely showed patience until affectionately by the Greek light and perseverance to "become" a desire to have a place among similar findings. Eventually the ancient theatre of Acharnes slowly reveals his size, his past ... 

   The ancient theatre of Acharnes was found in February 2007 accidentally in a building foundation work, which was then Salaminos street, now renamed Ancient theatre street in the urban site of municipality of Acharnes by archaeologist Maria Platonos Giota. It received global interest due to the great historical, archaeological, social and cultural importance. 

   The existence of the theatre is indicated by two important inscriptions of the second half of the 4th century B.C. 

A votive inscription reports the income from renting the theatre for private tragedy or comedy performances, the money of which was used for the religious needs of the municipality. The second inscription bearing two decrees was used as a tube cover and was found in 1987 by Mrs Maria Platonos in the excavation of a Roman bath in close proximity to the point of the site of the theatre. 

   The so far excavations have brought to light an entire kerkis (cuneus) 5 m. wide at their west section and 22 m. wide at their east section with 11 rows of limostone blocks in semi-circular arrangement that had apparently been transferred from a local stone quarry.

   Also a small part of another kerkis has been excavated to the north of the first one which probably continues intact, as Mrs Platonos believes, under the foundation of the new building. A small part of the orchestra was also revealed at a depth of 2.3 m. 

   It is obvious that the rest of the Koilon, the parodoi (passageways), the orchestra and the scene building are to be found under the building to the north and down the road. 

   It is hoped that they will be revealed as soon as the excavation starts again. This was left off in the summer of 2007 , but it will restart when the compulsory purchase of the nearby plots is complete (now under judicial determination ).

   Keeping the initial enthusiasm and expectations, which arose from the discovery of the theatre and motivated by the association 's "DIAZOMA" – Citizens movement for the Ancient Theaters around Greece- president Mr Stavros Benos, it was established a cultural institution with the legal form of a non-profit company named "EPISKINION" -Citizens Movement for the emergence of the Ancient Theatre of Acharnes-, an entity, purely voluntary and purely non-profit, non-funded and non-sponsored with a specific cultural purpose: the promotion and protection of the Ancient Theatre of Acharnes which is of unique value, presided by Mrs. Maria Micha, honoured member of DIAZOMA. 

   Under no circumstances will it substitute the state or relevant government agencies, which have the legal and institutional responsibility for the complete revelation and enhancement of this archaeological treasure. 
   Since it was founded, EPISKINION I has been working closely with DIAZOMA. In order to achieve the purpose mentioned above, EPISKINION with its members (including archaeologist Maria Platonos Giota, the mayor of Acharnes Mr Sotiris Douros, the local folk painter Christos Tsevas, presidents of local clubs, many distinguished archaeologists including the B Prehistoric and classical Antiquities and entities such as the Mountaineering club of Acharnes and the Art club of Acharnes, with a passion for the ancient theatre and love for the city of Acharnes without personal benefit by taking a variety of actions embraced by many people. 

   Through these actions it is achieved the awareness of residents for culture and the multiple benefits that will accrue to the local community by using the monument to the social and economic development (tourism, industry, cultural content service). 

   On the other hand pressure is put on competent bodies to accelerate time-consuming bureaucratic procedures, concerning the revelation of the ancient theatre. 

   Since EPISKINION was founded in 2010, in cooperation with DIAZOMA and together with the effective presence in all social media, it created an electronic coin bank account which remains first nationwide in terms of citizen participation. 

   This, among other things, is a powerful message to the institutions which are typically responsible for the expropriation, pavement construction, excavations and restoration of the theatre that the citizens of Acharnes are active and present. 

   That was the reason that although our country faces an unprecedented economic crisis, because of our presence and pressures a compensation for the first plot was issued in October 2011. 
   That was also the cause that in May 2012 it was declared the expropriation for another three properties (including buildings), but only after the completion of their compensation the excavations can be included in ESPA programs. 
   Already approaching the end of a lengthy and highly bureaucratic trial phase, means that when this is over then what follows is the judicial determination of the amount of compensation to owners. 
   The facts so far show that the disclosure -where permitted- and use of ancient theatres takes many decades. Take the Little Theatre of Epidaurus for example. The excavations began in 1971 and the expropriations were completed last year. 
   There is also the ancient theatre of Delos, which, although excavations began in 1882, it hasn't been restored yet. The goal of EPISKINION through actions and supervision is to reveal the ancient theatre with no delays in the processes of revelation contrary to the adverse economic condition of our country. 

EPISKINION intends to keep the theatre of Acharnes in the spotlight through actions. It conducts educational tours in other ancient theatres in Greece, informing about the theatre of Acharnes and at the same time the members of EPISKINION are getting informed about the stage of restoration and enhancement of other ancient theatres. 
   It has established an annual essay contest for high school students and also an annual bike ride which has a starting point to the Acharnean Gates at Kotzia square in the centre of Athens and through the vaulted Tomb and the tomb of Sophocles ends at the ancient theatre of Achanres. 
   There is also the adoption of the theatre by high schools and an educational program called "young archaeologist of Acharnes", which has been applied by two elementary schools. Theatrical performances are organized with the participation of distinguished professional actors and also the donation of books to the Library of the Department of Archaeology and Historical Research of Acharnes. 
   Finally Mrs. Aikaterini Kafi has voluntarily accepted to compose a musical play for the ancient theatre and the organizing of concerts with the voluntary participation of major Greek artists. 
   In addition, EPISKINION through actions and expenditures of its own posted an information sign at the site of the theatre and through pressures Salaminos street was renamed Ancient Theatre Street. 
   In the meantime there are actions to put information signs for the theatre at key locations. An immediate plan is to release a historical narrative for the ancient theatre of Acharnes. 

   The aim of EPISKINION remains, the soonest possible revelation of the theatre, to raise public awareness about the tremendous value of this monument, the production of a model culture that doesn't derive from introversion or elitism but sustained dialogue, which will lead to the effective management of the monument - that is - the archaeological evidence, the linking with the other archaeological monuments in Acharnes and the integration in the local community with sustainability rules.


EPISKINION,  CITIZENS MOVEMENT FOR THE EMERGENCE OF THE ANCIENT THEATRE OF ACHARNES   www.episkinion.org

 A non profit entity is a citizens movement for the promotion of the ancient theatre of Acharnes, which is a monument of unique cultural value .It was found in February 2007 in the urban site of municipality of Acharnes. 

Episkinion through various cultural activities so as to arouse public interest aims at the full revelation enhancement and promotion of this archaeological treasure



BIBLIOGRAPHY

Maria Platonos  ''The antiquities of the Municipality of ancient Aharnon and disclosure of theater, Museum of Cycladic Art, Archaeological contributions''  Part I, page.137

www.diazoma.gr
www.episkinon.org

πηγή

Scholeio.com

The Archimedes Palimpsest, is a Byzantine prayer book

Pages from the Archimedes Palimpsest.

   LOST for centuries. FOUND by the Walters Art Museum. Discover how an international team of experts resurrected the hidden manuscript of the ancient world's greatest thinker, Archimedes of Syracuse.
   In Jerusalem in 1229 AD the greatest works of the Greek mathematician Archimedes were erased and overwritten with a prayer book by a priest called Johannes Myronas. 

   In the year 2000 a project was begun by a team of experts at the Walters Art Museum to read these erased texts. 

   By the time they had finished, the team that worked on the book had recovered Archimedes' secrets, rewritten the history of mathematics and discovered entirely new texts from the ancient world. 

   This exhibition will tell that famous story. It will recount the history of the book, detail the patient conservation, explain the cutting-edge imaging and highlight the discoveries of the dogged and determined scholars who finally read what had been obliterated.

   Known as The Archimedes Palimpsest, the manuscript is a Byzantine prayer book from the 13th century which was assembled using pages from several earlier manuscripts – one of which contained several treatises by the Greek mathematician Archimedes that were copied in 10th-century Constantinople. 

   These were first discovered in 1906 by the Danish Archimedes scholar Johan Ludwig Heiberg, but as the text had been scraped away to make room for the prayer book he was only able to partially read them, and the book then went missing until it was auctioned – in a much more damaged state – at Christie's in New York in 1998. 

Archimedes palimpsest, 1229, Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.

   Bought by an anonymous American collector for $2m (£1.25m), it was deposited at Baltimore's Walters Art Museum, where scientists, conservators, classicists and historians have been working on uncovering the secrets of oldest surviving copy of Archimedes' works.
   Since that date (1998) the manuscript has been the subject of conservation, imaging and scholarship, in order to better read the texts. The Archimedes Palimpsest project, as it is called, has shed new light on Archimedes and revealed new texts from the ancient world. It has also generated a great deal of public curiosity, as well as the interest of scholars throughout the world.

   Left, an image of folio XXX. Right, IR image which succeeded in separating the Archimedes ink (carbon black ink) from the parchment underneath it, and from the prayer book ink (ferro-gallic ink) on top of it. 

   Using multispectral imaging and an x-ray technique which picked up the iron in the ink that had been scraped away, they discovered that Archimedes, working in the third century BC, considered the concept of actual infinity, something thought to have only been developed in the 19th century, and anticipated calculus. 

   As well as seven treatises by the ancient Greek mathematician, including the only surviving copy of his The Method of Mechanical Theorems and Stomachion, new speeches by the classical Athenian orator Hyperides and a lost commentary on Aristotle's Categories from the second or third century AD were also found beneath the text of the prayer book.

   After centuries of mistreatment, the Archimedes palimpsest is in bad shape. During its thousand-year life, it has been scraped, singed by fire, dribbled with wax, smeared with glue, and ravaged by a deep purple fungus, which in places has eaten through its pages. 

   Without the use of computer technology, the Archimedes palimpsest would be largely illegible. But modern imaging technologies, similar to those that helped experts read portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1996, allow for astonishingly precise views of faded text. 

Image source: Nova.

  
   The exhibition Lost and Found: The Secrets of Archimedes will conclude with two galleries that ask "What will we discover next?" 

   In six interactive learning stations, conservation staff will present artworks from the Walters' collection to illustrate the very real questions that start the process of learning and discovery through research. For example, you will be invited to consider why a Kentucky Long rifle is associated with a pastoral 19th-century drawing by Rosa Bonheur, to explore what Ethiopian painting and manuscript illustration have to do with colorful minerals on display, and to ponder how silver preservation could be revolutionized by recent advances in nanotechnology.

   This exhibition has been generously supported by an anonymous donor and by leadership gifts from the Selz Foundation and the Stockman Family Foundation.
   The Archimedes Palimpsest is a manuscript of extraordinary importance to the history of science. This thirteenth century prayer book contains erased texts that were written several centuries earlier. These erased texts include two treatises by Archimedes that can be found nowhere else, The Method and Stomachion.

   On 29th October 2008, we celebrated the ten year anniversary of the project. What was erased text, in terrible condition, impossible to access, and yet foundational to the history and science of the West, is now legible, and instantly available.

  * Archimedes, The Greek mathematician was born in the Greek colony of Syracuse on the island of Sicily in 287 BC. He was the son of an astronomer and mathematician named Phidias.

πηγή

Perasma