On the west bank of the Achelous River in Greece lie the remains of one of the world’s oldest shipyards, part of the ancient Greek city of Oeniadae (Ancient Greek: Οἰνιάδαι).
Located 4 km (2.5 miles) west of the modern-day village of Katochi in Aitoloakarnania, Oeniadae first appeared in historical records in the 5th century BCE. It was a prosperous city with impressive fortified walls and a large theater, making it one of the most significant centers of ancient Acarnania and a key port along the maritime route to Corfu.
The importance of the ancient Greek city of Oeniadae was mainly due to its shipyard, which was used for the construction of warships and trading vessels, and greatly contributed to the military and economic strength of the Acarnania region.
The ancient Greek city on Trikardos hill was the second largest and the most important city of Acarnania after Stratos. The archaeological site, with an area of approximately 1,400 acres, is one of the most outstanding examples of the organization and fortification typical of the cities of Aetolia and Acarnania, as well as of the wider Greek area.
The extensive ruins show the importance that the city must once have had, with its fortified walls, acropolis, theater, shipyard and harbor. The massive buildings of the agora must have taken their final form in the 4th century BCE. Part of the ancient city’s residential structures (foundations of private residences and public buildings) have been excavated, as well as the theater, the shipyard and the baths in the ancient port of the city, the foundations of the agora buildings, the outside walls, and the tombs of its rich eastern cemetery.
The preservation of its fortifications is impressive and constitutes one of the most characteristic examples of the ancient art of fortification. Built according to the polygonal system, the walls follow the contours of the terrain and surround the city for a length of approximately 6.5 km (4 miles). For the most part the ramparts are in excellent condition.
A separate fortification encloses the port and the city’s shipyard. The towers that appear at intervals are probably later additions. The twelve gates of the city include a remarkable variation of styles, including square, arched and vaulted, which make them oustanding monuments of fortification architecture in their own right.
Some towers were built according to the polygonal system and others according to the trapezoid. This pattern of the coexistence of a polygonal wall with towers of polygonal and trapezoid masonry is found in most fortifications of Acarnania.
Historically, Oeniadae changed its alliances repeatedly. At first it was a member of the Peloponnesian League, but in 424 BCE it joined the Delian League. In the Hellenistic period, Oeniadae allied with the Aetolians until 218 BCE when Philip V declared its independence. From 211 to 189 BCE, during the Roman-Macedonian wars, the city was again under Aetolian control. In Roman times it lost its strategic importance. However it was still inhabited in the 3rd century CE judging from coin finds.
Situated against a hill in the marshes, which provided good protection from invaders, the Oeniadae shipyard consisted of two harbors and a dockyard which was carved into the almost vertical rock side.
It is a unique monument of the area and one of the most imposing of antiquity due to the excellent preservation of the dockyard. Here ships would be hauled inside for repair work and winter docking.
The dockyard is located at the southwestern end of the port fortifications, which are dominated by the “red tower,” with a surviving height of 10.90 m (36 ft), and the slanted arched gate, the so-called “courtyard gate,” as well as the ruins of a second tower that is also large in size and slanted for protection.
It was a π-plan roofed construction, approximately 41 m x 47 m, the eastern side of which was approximately 11 m high. It was carved almost entirely vertically into the natural rock. Its floor is also carved into the rock. The interior of the building was symmetrically divided by five colonnades of seventeen unriveted columns.
The openings between the colonnades were covered by gabled, elongated roofs with laconic tiling. Between the colonnades were six equally spaced “aisles” with carved boat-shaped floors and floors that sloped upward toward the depth of the nave. These are the ramps through which the ships were dragged into the hangar space.
On the eastern side of the monument there were a total of eleven rectangular, column-shaped projections (approximately 7 m high), carved vertically into the rock, which created twelve small chambers. The pillars served to support, anchor and waterproof the roof of the structure on this side.
The monument, which dates back to the 4th century BCE, has many architectural elements similar to those of the shipbuilders of the port of Zea in Piraeus. It was in full operation until the end of the 3rd century BCE, when, for unknown reasons, the roof gave way, the colonnades collapsed and the flywheels filled the ramps, making them impossible to use.
The Oeniadae theater is built near the Agora in a position that offers a stunning view of the surrounding plains, the old bed of the Achelous River and the coastal areas.
The construction of the theater dates back to three periods. It was first built in the 4th century BCE, when the Athenians captured the city. In the 3rd century, renovations were carried out, probably by Philip V of Macedon. Later, in 167 BCE, the Romans occupied the city and engaged in small-scale reconstructions, which are not visible today.
It is a good-sized theater, carved into the porous limestone rock of the slope. The weathering of the rock over the centuries has destroyed part of the stands. It has 23 rows of seats. Some stones of the lower row of seats have engraved inscriptions in ancient Greek script.
The orchestra is particularly large with a radius of 7.65 m around the outer perimeter of the slabs. The stage with the backstage is 27.70 m long. Pieces of porticos found around it belong to the Ionic style. The stage apparently was not elevated but on the ground and thus provides a perfect view of the orchestra.
To date, we know of six ancient theaters in the prefecture. They belong to the cities of Macineia, Kalydona, Pleurona, Oeniadae, Stratos and Amphilochic Argos. The theater of Oeniadae has been thoroughly researched and written about, and while that of Stratos has been researched and studied, the publication based on this research is pending. The theater of Amphilochic Argos has not yet been uncovered.
The first excavation of the theater at Oeniadae was carried out in 1900 by the American archaeologist Barry B. Powell, when the stage, the orchestra and about half of the cavea were uncovered. In May of the following year inscribed stone blocks with liberation inscriptions were uncovered in the southwestern part of the cavea. The basic and probably the most important contribution of this first archaeological survey at the beginning of the 20th century are the recordings, descriptions and photographs of the then state of the theater.
