A theatrical culture flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. At its centre was the city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, and the theatre was institutionalised there as part of a festival called the Dionysia, which honoured the god Dionysus. Tragedy (late 500 BC), comedy (490 BC), and the satyr play were the three dramatic genres emerged there. Athens exported the festival to its numerous colonies. Modern Western theatre comes, in large measure, from the theatre of ancient Greece, from which it borrows technical terminology, classification into genres, and many of its themes, stock characters, and plot elements.
⭐ In the context of the Festival of Dionysus, Greek drama is considered to have evolved by initially showcasing which theatrical form before expanding to include others?
The Festival of Dionysus began with performances of tragedies, and it wasn't until 487 BC that comedies were added to the program, marking an evolution in the types of plays presented.
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HINT: The Festival of Dionysus began with performances of tragedies, and it wasn't until 487 BC that comedies were added to the program, marking an evolution in the types of plays presented.
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Greek drama
- Greek drama in the context of City Dionysia
- Greek drama in the context of Rhinthon
Greek drama in the context of City Dionysia
The Dionysia (/ˌdaɪ.əˈnɪzi.ə, ˌdaɪ.əˈnɪʃi.ə, ˌdaɪ.əˈnɪʃə/; Greek: Διονύσια) was a large festival in ancient Athens in honor of the god Dionysus, the central events of which were processions and sacrifices in honor of Dionysus, the theatrical performances of dramatic tragedies and, from 487 BC, comedies. It was the second-most important festival after the Panathenaia. The Dionysia actually consisted of two related festivals, the Rural Dionysia and the City Dionysia, which took place in different parts of the year.
View the full Wikipedia page for City DionysiaGreek drama in the context of Rhinthon
Rhinthon (Ancient Greek: Ῥίνθων, gen.: Ῥίνθωνος; c. 323 – 285 BC) was a Hellenistic dramatist.
The son of a potter, he was probably a native of Syracuse, Magna Graecia, and afterwards settled at Tarentum.
View the full Wikipedia page for Rhinthon