The Theatre Of Dionysus Flashcards
Where is the theatre of Dionysus located ?
On the SE side of the Acropolis just above a religious sanctuary dedicated to Dionysus
What is some info on the theatre in the second half of 6th century BC?
- plays originally performed in the agora(market place or town)
- wooden structure then erected on the SE side of the Acropolis
- Aeschylus worked as a playwright during this time
What did the theatre look like by the late 5th Century BC ( Theatre or Pericles)
- odeon of Pericles constructed next to the theatre
- stone seating bill into the side of the Acropolis
- Scenery more sophisticated
- post holes suggest scenery could be moved
- Sophocles, Artisophanes and Euripides worked as playwright
- stage building like had a flat roof and a crane
Theatre of Lycurgus (Late 4th Century BC)
- Lycurgus made the theatre fully stone in the 320s
- captaincy of 17,000 spectators
- seating area divided into two sections
- stone front row seats introduced
What did the theatre look like from the 1st to 3rd Century AD?
- theatre continued to be remodelled post Lycurgus
- remodelling occurred in particular undue Roman occupation
- ruins today reflect this time period
What is the significance of the theatre of Dionysus ?
- near the symbolic religious heart of the city: the Acropolis
- protected from cold northern winds in the winter months: plays performed then
- next to sanctuary of Dionysus
- a street led from the theatre of the Agora lined with Bronze tripods as monuments to the festival winners victories
What are the special seats at the front of the theatre of Dionysus called and provide some info on them ?
The Prohedria
- privileged seats occupied by officials and dignitaries
- central seat reserved for the priest of Dionysus
- had more influence on the judges as their position meant their reactions to the play could be more easily heard
What does the theatre of Dionysus tell us ?
- seating arrangement hierarchical with a set structure mimicking Athenian society
- large number of seats (1.7k) provides us with evidence that drama was popular and in demand
- positioned next to the sanctuary of Dionysus provides us with strong evidence of its religious importance
What are the limitations of its usefulness ?
With most plays being performed around the late 4th Century BC where as the ruins are estimated to be from the 1st to the 3rd Century AD with more Roman influence not Greek
We have no surviving props and others accessories from that time period
