Stories about Dionysius’ ear are always filled with sound. The artificial cave dug in the limestone under the Greek theatre. Its shape is fitting as the digging began from up high towards the smaller end, the excellent acoustics amplifies sounds up to 16 times their normal volume.
Caravaggio likened the cave’s form to an ear and the comparison reinforced the legend connected to the tyrant who had prisoners put in there.
The high volume would have represented a form of torture for inmates and a way for Dionysius to listen in on their secrets.
Read more
