MMA Bulletin Green, J. Images of the Greek Theatre. London: Trustees of the British Museum, Hornblower, Simon, and Antony Spawforth, eds. The Oxford Classical Dictionary.
New York: Oxford University Press, Trendall, A. Phlyax Vases. Illustrations of Greek Drama. London: Phaidon, Visiting The Met? Terracotta amphoriskos flask in the form of a bird-man. Terracotta lekythos oil flask Attributed to the Painter of the Yale Lekythos. Terracotta calyx-krater mixing bowl Attributed to the Konnakis Group.
Only 11 of the 40 or so plays originally written by Aristophanes survive today. In some ways, his later plays, like Ploutos, mirror the same change we saw in tragedy during the course of the fourth century BC: a turning away from an Athenian focus towards more universal issues, such as the unfairness of the distribution of wealth.
We know little more about comedy in the Greek world during the fourth century, as only fragments have survived. Both are wonderful character studies, in which the author creates humour not through political lampooning, but through down-to-earth kitchen-sink interaction between the main stock characters like the cunning slave and the grumpy old man.
It was comedy to suit a much more diverse and international audience across an increasingly wide and complex Mediterranean world. Written in BC, Trojan Women addresses what happened to the people of Troy after their city has fallen to the Greeks. To an Athenian audience mired in the Peloponnesian War , this play must have offered an uncomfortable reflection.
Both Sparta and Athens had forced similar fates on cities and states during the conflict. The tragedy speaks to the inherent suffering of war, with I think as much resonance today as it had 2, years ago. This play from BC pokes fun at one of the most fundamental institutions of Athenian democracy: the law courts. His son tries to barricade him into his home to break this obsession, before offering to let his father stage court cases at home which he can judge — including the case of two dogs.
One of these dogs has accused the other dog of stealing good cheese and not sharing it. The court case descends into farce — as does the rest of the play, with the father causing havoc both inside the house and out in the community.
Aristophanes wanted his audience to be uncomfortable even when considering some of the most central and celebrated elements of their democracy. Michael Scott is assistant professor in classics and ancient history at the University of Warwick. Sign in. Back to Main menu Virtual events Masterclasses. Prologue: the birth of Greek drama No one knows for sure exactly how theatre emerged in ancient Greece. The theater was built in memory of his wife, Regilla, and could accommodate around 5, people.
Herodion was partly destroyed during the Heruli invasion in AD. It remained abandoned for several centuries, and was gradually incorporated within the fortifications of the city of Athens.
Since then, it has hosted numerous performances, concerts and shows, often with world-famous artists. Originally, the Herodion was covered with a lavish wooden roof, which has not survived. Fortunately, the impressive arches are still in place, providing a fabulous background for performers. Concerts and other shows are held in Herodion during spring, summer and autumn. In addition, there are usually plenty of other events. Apart from rare exceptions, Herodion is only accessible during these performances.
If there are no shows when you visit, you can have a great view from above when you visit the Acropolis. However, this theatre is considered to be the oldest theatre in Greece which still exists in its original form. The ancient theater of Thoriko is estimated to have been built between — BC. Excavations have shown that the site used to be a limestone quarry.
Eventually, the theatre was not only used for performances, but also for teaching of drama and other functions. There is no fence or entrance fee to the site, so you can visit the ancient ruins anytime of the day. The theatre of Thoriko is a short drive away from the famous temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio , so you can combine them in the same trip. Other important landmarks in the area include the mineral-extracting facilities of Lavrio, a cemetery, and a small temple dedicated to Dionysus.
The theatre of Epidaurus is one of the most iconic ancient Greek theatres. It can be found within a larger archaeological site, the Sanctuary of Asklepios in the Peloponnese. Ancient Greeks had done a lot of research on health and therapy. Areas with therapeutic springs were the best places to build large healing centres, called Asklepieia. Ancient Epidaurus was one of these places. A sanctuary of God Asklepios, the god of healing, was constructed around BC.
The site comprised several buildings, including a guesthouse, a treatment centre, a gymnasium, a stadium, baths and a banqueting hall. The theatre itself was constructed a few decades later. It was built both as a tribute to Asklepios, and a means of providing entertainment to the patients and the carers. Like other ancient sites in Greece, the theatre of Epidaurus was partially buried under debris. It was excavated in the s, and constitutes the best preserved ancient Greek theatre.
The first thing you will notice when you visit the theatre is the amazing setting. Surrounded by thousands of trees, the location is incredibly peaceful. In addition, the theatre has some of the best acoustics in the world. Even though the theatre has a capacity of 14, people, shows can often get sold out, so make sure you reserve your seats well in advance. Here is some more information about the Ancient theater of Epidaurus. You can get there on your own, or with a guided tour including other sites in the Peloponnese.
And if you are not visiting Greece anytime soon, the ancient theater features in a couple of movies about Greece! The archaeological site of Delphi is one of the most visited sites in Greece.
The setting is absolutely magnificent, so this choice is easily justified! Apollo, the god of light, music, arts and grace, liberated Delphi from an ancient serpent, Python. To honour the liberator god, a grand sanctuary was built on the slopes of mount Parnassos.
The Ancient theatre of Delphi was one of the largest monuments in the sanctuary. It was made out of local limestone in the 4th century BC, and may have replaced an earlier, wooden construction. The theatre that has survived had a capacity of around 5, people.
Every four years, the Pythian games, an important religious festival, was organized in Delphi to celebrate Apollo. The Games consisted primarily of musical contests, both singing and instrumental music, that were hosted in the Delphi theatre.
Similarly to the Ancient Olympic Games, there were also athletic competitions. These were held in the Delphi stadium, which is a short walk up the hill from the ancient theatre. The ancient site of Delphi was excavated in the late s. A theatrical performance was held in the theatre in , as part of an ambitious cultural project.
However, this was soon discontinued. Here is some more information about the Ancient site of Delphi , including how to visit. It is perfectly possible to get to Delphi on your own, or take an organized tour. Skene : The skene literally, "tent" was the building directly behind the stage. During the 5th century, the stage of the theater of Dionysus in Athens was probably raised only two or three steps above the level of the orchestra, and was perhaps 25 feet wide and 10 feet deep.
The skene was directly in back of the stage, and was usually decorated as a palace, temple, or other building, depending on the needs of the play. It had at least one set of doors, and actors could make entrances and exits through them. There was also access to the roof of the skene from behind, so that actors playing gods and other characters such as the Watchman at the beginning of Aeschylus' Agamemnon could appear on the roof, if needed.
Parodos : The parodoi literally, "passageways" are the paths by which the chorus and some actors such as those representing messengers or people returning from abroad made their entrances and exits. The audience also used them to enter and exit the theater before and after the performance. Greek Theaters Click here to explore more about Greek theaters in Perseus, with descriptions, plans, and images of eleven ancient theaters, including the Theater of Dionysus in Athens, and the theater at Epidaurus.
The basic structure of a Greek tragedy is fairly simple. After a prologue spoken by one or more characters, the chorus enters, singing and dancing. Scenes then alternate between spoken sections dialogue between characters, and between characters and chorus and sung sections during which the chorus danced.
Here are the basic parts of a Greek Tragedy:. Prologue : Spoken by one or two characters before the chorus appears. The prologue usually gives the mythological background necessary for understanding the events of the play. Parodos : This is the song sung by the chorus as it first enters the orchestra and dances.
First Episode : This is the first of many "episodes", when the characters and chorus talk. First Stasimon : At the end of each episode, the other characters usually leave the stage and the chorus dances and sings a stasimon, or choral ode. The ode usually reflects on the things said and done in the episodes, and puts it into some kind of larger mythological framework.
For the rest of the play, there is alternation between episodes and stasima, until the final scene, called the Exodos : At the end of play, the chorus exits singing a processional song which usually offers words of wisdom related to the actions and outcome of the play. Click here to see an analysis of the structure of the plays read in Humanities This page allows you to find passages in the any of the plays in either Greek or English.
In sections H and I there are links which allow you to search for particular English or Greek words in the text of any of the plays. English text Greek text. English text Greek text H. Search for English word in any of the plays. To search for the occurance s an English word in one of the plays, click on the above, and type in the English word in the box marked "Look for:"; then type in the name of the author of the play Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, or Aristophanes in the box marked "Show results for".
The search will turn up the occurance of the word you have requested in all of the plays of the author you have typed in. Search for Greek word in any of the plays. You do not have to know ancient Greek to use this helpful resource. The Greek word search program allows you to type in an English word, and then gives you all of the Greek words that have that English word as part of the definition. You can then search for those Greek words in the Greek texts you are interested in.
This is very helpful, because it allows you to be less dependent on the English translation when you are searching for a word or concept in the Greek text. For example, if you are exploring the issue of "justice" in one of the plays, you can find out what the Greek words are that have "justice" as part of their definition, and then search for those words directly in the Greek text of the play.
Goldhill, S. Reading Greek Tragedy Heath, M. Word and Action Lesky, A. Greek Tragic Poetry Rehm, R. Greek Tragic Theatre Segal, C. Greek Tragedy in Action Vernant, J. Towards Greek Tragedy Winkler, J. Nothing to Do with Dionysus?
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