Updated on January 27, 2019. The theatron (plural theatra) is the word referring to the seating area section of an ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine theater. The theatron is one of the earliest and most pronounced parts of ancient theaters.
What is the purpose of the theatron?
The theatron was the seating area, built into a hill to create a natural viewing space. The first seats in Greek theatres (other than just sitting on the ground) were wooden, but around 499 BC the practice of inlaying stone blocks into the side of the hill to create permanent, stable seating became more common.
What area of the stage does the word theatron describe?
The orchestra of the theater of Dionysus in Athens was about 60 feet in diameter. Theatron: The theatron (literally, “viewing-place”) is where the spectators sat.
What was the theatron who sat there?
What was the “theatron?” Who sat there? The main viewing area which could hold up to 20,000 people. Average citizens sat here. Who sat in the very highest seats?
What God did plays originally Honor?
Greek plays were originally part of a spring festival called the City Dionysia festival that was put on to honor Dionysus, the god of wine, music, drama, and fertility.
What is a parodos in Greek Theatre?
Definition of parodos
1 : the first choral passage in an ancient Greek drama recited or sung as the chorus enters the orchestra compare stasimon. 2 : a passage in an ancient Greek theater between auditorium and skene by which spectators had access to the theater and actors might come and go during a play.
Is Lysistrata a satyr play?
Hey there, I am Mike. Welcome to Crash Course Theater. Today we will be covering Greek satyr plays and classical Greek comedy. We’ll also take a look at Aristophanes’s Lysistrata, a play in which the women of Athens and Sparta decide to ban sexual intercourse until their husbands stop fighting a war.
Was Euripides married?
Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him, but the Suda says it was ninety-two at most.
| Euripides | |
|---|---|
| Spouse(s) | Melite Choerine |
| Parent(s) | Mnesarchus Cleito |
Did the Romans adopt Greek Theater?
Ancient Greece’s influence on Roman theater
After Livius Andronicus first translated Greek plays for Roman audiences in 240 BC, many dramatic performances in Rome over the next century would be adaptations of Greek plays.In turn, the Romans took elements from these cultures with them upon returning to Rome.
What is a satyr in Greek Theatre?
The satyr play is a form of Attic theatre performance related to both comedy and tragedy. It preserves theatrical elements of dialogue, actors speaking verse, a chorus that dances and sings, masks and costumes.
Why are modern actors called thespians?
?Actors and actresses are called thespians in honor of Thespis, a Greek playwright and performer. Around 535 B.C., Thespis added a new dimension to drama by stepping out of the Greek chorus during a performance and reciting portions of the text alone, becoming the first actor.
What do the two muses Thalia and Melpomene represent in Greek theater?
These masks, a symbol of opposing themes in literature, theater, and song, come from two of the Greek Muses, Melpomene and Thalia. Melpomene is the Muse of tragedy, thus the sad face on one mask, while Thalia is the Muse of comedy, represented by the smiling face.
Who was the world’s first actor?
Thespis
According to tradition, in 534 or 535 BC, Thespis astounded audiences by leaping on to the back of a wooden cart and reciting poetry as if he was the characters whose lines he was reading. In doing so he became the world’s first actor, and it is from him that we get the world thespian.
Who attended Great Dionysia?
Athenian citizens
The festivals were attended by all Athenian citizens (likely women as well as men) and visitors from throughout Greece. In the tragic competition, each of three tragic poets wrote, produced, and probably acted in three tragedies on a single theme.
Where did the word drama come from?
The word drama comes directly from Greek, meaning “action” or “a play.” Which is no surprise, since ancient Athens was a hotbed of dramatic theater. The earliest recorded actor was a Greek named Thespis, and actors today are still called “thespians” in his honor. Drama doesn’t always take place on the stage, though.
Why is the parodos important?
Entrance song of the chorus
Usually the first choral song of the drama, the parodos typically follows the play’s prologue. It is an important part as it defined the chorus, provide information about the plot, and assist or fight the protagonist. In Greek comedy, the parodos is considered the climactic moment.
What is the meaning of parados in English?
parados in British English
(?p?r??d?s ) noun. a bank behind a trench or other fortification, giving protection from being fired on from the rear.
What is a parados in Greek tragedy?
A parados was one of two gangways on which chorus and actors made their entrances from either side into the orchestra.The episode is the part that falls between choral songs and the A stasimon is a stationary song, sung after the chorus has taken up its station in the orchestra.
What does weaving symbolize in Lysistrata’s conversation with the magistrate?
By Aristophanes. Using “sewing” or “spinning” or “weaving” as a metaphor for “togetherness” has a long and illustrious history. Shucks, even today we talk about “a tightly knit family” or “patching up a relationship” or “a well-woven story.” When we want to talk about cohesiveness, we reach for the needle and thread.
What does Lysistrata do with her fellow female protestors against the war?
Lysistrata has planned a meeting between all of the women of Greece to discuss the plan to end the Peloponnesian War.The women from the various regions finally assemble and Lysistrata convinces them to swear an oath that they will withhold sex from their husbands until both sides sign a treaty of peace.
Who is Calonice in Lysistrata?
Calonice is Lysistrata’s neighbor, and just like Lysistrata, Calonice is respectable middle-class housewife. Think of her as the Ethel Mertz to Lysistrata’s Lucy Ricardo.
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