Vitruvian Theater Acoustics

Two figures stand on a circular stage, gesturing towards a multi-tiered, semi-circular architectural structure. The theater's niches are filled with large bronze or ceramic vessels, known as echeia, which were intended to amplify the performers' voices through harmonic resonance. The engraving detail shows the precise arrangement of these vessels across the different levels of the seating area.

This image represents Athanasius Kircher's attempt to apply classical harmonic theory to the physical science of acoustics, a central theme in his 'Phonurgia Nova'. It connects the architectural principles of Vitruvius to the early modern interest in natural magic and the hidden properties of sound and vibration.