Ancient Athenian Tragedy

Origins, Context, Practice

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Tragedy: Ritualized Secularism

• Dual Focus (Barlow)• Mythic, archetypal• Contemporary, topical

• Ambivalent affirmation

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Theater at Epidaurus

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Agenda

• Opening discussion• Your Comments

• The Fasti• Background, Evidence, Illustration

• Tragic Origins• Cult, komos, Phallic Procession

• Athenian Tragedy• Occasion and Context

• Athenian Theater, Tragic Drama• Where, What, How

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Opening discussion

Your Comments

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Issues…

• Confused!• Athenian drama through a

modern lens• Plays as critique?

• Artistic liberties?

• Citizen role?• Political/social aspects?

• Emergence of urban culture

• Religious aspects?• Why gods (esp. Dionysus)?• Cultic elements

• (Proto)satyrs?

• Plays that illustrate?

• Competitive aspects• Choosing of khorēgoi• How people heard the

actors• 3-actor rule?• Theater

• Lighting?• Rebuilding?• Paucity of remains?

• Festival: changes?13-Sep-11

The Fasti

Background, Evidence, Illustration

BBC Map of Ancient Greece

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Chronology: Athenian Drama

• 561-527 BCE Peisistratus’ tyranny• City/Greater Dionysia• Tragic competition, 535/4 or 508 or 501 (?)

• 535-531? Thespis and tragedy• Actor-“answerer” (hupokrites)

• ca. 520-510 Satyr plays introduced• 486 First known comic competition• 508/7 Democracy• 453 Athenian empire• 449 actor’s prize, Greater Dionysia13-Sep-11

Tragic mask

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Chronology: Athenian Tragedians

• 525-455 BCE Aeschylus• 1st victory 484• 2nd actor added

• ca. 496-ca. 406 Sophocles• 1st victory 468• 3rd actor added

• 484?-406 BCE Euripides• 1st victory 441• Solo arias (“monodies”)

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Tragic mask

Choregic commemorative inscription honoring khorēgoi Auteas and Philoxenides, 313–312 BC

Fasti (inscribed drama record, Athens)

1. Name of that year’s presiding archon (“archon eponymous”).

2. Name of victorious tribe, boys’ dithyramb.3. Name of victorious tribe, men’s dithyramb.4. Name of victorious khoregos and didaskalos

(“director”) in comedy.5. Victorious khoregos and didaskalos, tragedy.

• 449/447 (?) BCE, victorious actor in tragedy.

komos (plural komoi)

Tragic Origins

Cult, komos, Phallic Procession

Dionysus with Satyrs,Athenian cup (“Brygos painter”)circa 510 BCE

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Proto-Dramatic PerformanceKōmos, Satyrs Phallic procession

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Komasts: archaic Corinthian vase

Procession of the Phallus PoleSatyrs, Maenads, Dionysus. Athenian, early 500s BCE

Proto-Drama (?): komos-like Performance of the Return of HephaestusProtocorinthian vase painting , 600-575 BCE

HephaestusDionysus

padded, phallic costume

Return of Hephaistos

Red-Figure Athenian Vase,500s BCE

Red-Figure Athenian Vase,500s BCE

Dionysian Masks

Tragic chorus: masked, dancing, singing (ancient vase)

Athenian Tragedy

Occasion and Context

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Athenian Dramatic Festivals

• Rural Dionysia (Dec.)• Lenaea (late Jan/Feb, from

440/430-)• citizens

• Anthisteria (Feb)• City/Greater Dionysia (late March)

• anyone• (theoric fund)

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Dionysus

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Greater Dionysia: ProgramDramatic preliminaries

• Prefest• chorus assignments

• Proagōn• “Introduction”• Pompē• Ceremonies

“Showtime”

• Dithyramb — 10• Men’s choruses of 50• Boys’ choruses of 50

• Comedies — 5• Tragedy — 3 tetralogies

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Tragic TetralogyFour plays, one playwright

1. Tragedy2. Tragedy3. Tragedy4. Satyr drama

Aeschylus’ Oresteia (458 BCE)

1. Agamemnon2. Libation Bearers3. Eumenides4. Proteus

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Citizen judging

Athenian Theater, Tragic Drama

Where, What, How

Roman Theater of Herodes Atticus

Theater of Dionysus

Parthenon

N

Temple of DionysusEleutherius

Odeon

Athenian Acropolis

entry (parodos)

skene (stage building)

stone seats (dignitaries)

theatron (“viewing place,” auditorium, theater)

kerkis (“wedge”seating section)

orkhēstra (“dancing space” for

chorus)

Low wooden stage with, steps, skene (from ca. 420 BCE)

entry (parodos)

wooden bleachers

altar

Theater of Dionysus ca. 420 BCE

Theater of Dionysus, Athens (from East)

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Production: Personnel & GearPersonnel• poet

• poiētēs, “maker”

• producer• khorēgos

• director• didaskalos, “teacher”

• actors• hupokritai

• chorus, “chorus leader”• khoros, koruphaios

• piper• aulētēs

Gear, etc.

• Masks• Costumes• Music• Props• Scenery• Special effects

• mekhanē• ekkuklēma

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