Clinging to a lonely patch of hillside just below Trypiti, this large Roman-era theatre entertained the citizens of Ancient Melos from the 1st to the 4th century AD. It was rediscovered in 1735 but only around a tenth of the original structure has been uncovered and partially restored, including part of the richly carved marble facade of the stage that once faced an audience of up to 8000 people.
The path to the theatre is well signposted, just up from the car park for the catacombs. The flattened oval area beside the road was the site of an ancient stadium. To the right of the path, look out for an information board marking the site near where, in 1820, a farmer discovered an exquisite 2m-high armless Parian marble statue of Aphrodite (c120 BC), still standing in her own niche. She was promptly packed off to the Louvre in Paris, where she's now better known as the Venus de Milo. A campaign has been launched to bring her home (www.takeaphroditehome.gr).
