Over the first week we worked on Greek theatre.
Overview.
The theatre of ancient Greece, or ancient
Greek drama, is a theatrical culture that
flourished in ancient Greece between c.
550 and c. 220 BCE.
The city-state of Athens, which became a
significant cultural, political, and military
power during this period, was its center,
where it was institutionalized as part of a
festival called the Dionysia, which
honored the god Dionysus.
Tragedy, comedy, and the satyr play
were the three dramatic genres to
emerge there. Athens exported the festival
to its numerous colonies and
allies in order to promote a common
cultural identity. Western theatre
originates in Athens and its drama has
had a significant and sustained impact
on Western culture as a whole.
The word tragoidia, from which the
English word "tragedy" is derived, is a
portmanteau of two Greek words: tragos
or "goat" and ode meaning "song", from
aeideion, "to sing". This etymology
indicates a link with the practices of the
ancient Dionysian cults.
