Download The Theatre of Dionysus

The Theatre of Dionysus
For the Greeks in ancient Athens, the
Theatre of Dionysus was a very
important part of their lives. Today it is
considered to be the place where
European theatre had its beginnings.
The best view you can have of the
theatre is from the Acropolis.
So while you might be taken up with the
all the sights of the Parthenon and
other structures, tear yourself away and
look down from the south-east side.
You'll get a wonderful view of the
Theatre of Dionysus.
You can also get good views from either
side, on the hillside just above the
upper rows of seating. Like all historical
sites, taking a few minutes to sit down
and reflect on the history is a great way
to appreciate the achievements of the
ancient Greeks.
Theatre of Dionysus with Acropolis
behind
Why is it so important?
The theatre was built at the time when
'drama' or 'theatre' was first being
created. It's thought that the first drama
was presented by Thespis in about 530
BC (which is where we get the word
'Thespian'). These dramas were
probably performed in the Agora.
The cult of Dionysus was brought to
Athens in the 6th C BC, and the theatre
was built as part of the temple precinct.
In the 5th C BC major works of theatre
were performed. These plays were
written by some of the great "Attic
tragedians", men such as Aeschylus,
Sophocles and Euripides. The plays
were performed as part of the cult
celebrations of Dionysus. Fortunately,
many of their plays have survived,
which give us a unique insight into their
thinking.
Relief detail from stage area
Continuous building
As with much of the ancient world, the
site was added to and developed over
the centuries. What remains today is
mostly from the Roman era.
Archaeologists have identified about
nine different building phases.
In about 420 BC the temple to Dionysus
was moved away from the theatre to
make way for a hall which was built to
the south of the theatre.
Greek or Roman?
How do you know if an ancient theatre
is Greek or Roman?
The 'orchestra' or central area is semicircular in a Greek theatre, and 'D'
shaped in a Roman one.
In 330 BC stone seats were added
(some think there were wooden seats
up until this time), and the remains of
these are the ones you see today. It was
able to seat up to 17,000 people. The
seats in the first row were reserved for
dignitaries, and you can still see some
of the reliefs.
The actual stage building was also
developed over the centuries. Here you
can see reliefs which show the legend
of Dionysus. These are also from
Roman times.
The Roman emperor Hadrian (who
seems to pop up everywhere in the
ancient world) had a special seat
reserved at the Theatre of Dionysus just
for himself. This is an indication of the
high regard the Romans had for the
ancient Greeks and their achievements.
Theatre of Dionysus from the Acropolis
Ancient Greek plays - just
entertainment?
The plays performed at the Theatre of
Dionysus were not just for
entertainment.
For a start, the playwrights competed
for a prize. Then, you have to
understand the ancient Greek attitude
to life. They didn't separate their lives
into compartments, as many do in our
modern cultures. Their festivals were
for enjoyment, worship, business,
serious discussion, and much more.
Some of the plays performed were
extremely rude (appealing to a male
audience), while others tried to make
comments or ask questions about
serious issues of the day, or attitudes of
the gods.
The meaning of our word 'tragedy'
comes from the more serious Greek
plays. These often concluded that
mortals are at the mercy of forces (the
gods, destiny, fate) far outside their
control or influence.