Who sat in the highest seats in Greek theatre?

Who sat in the highest seats in Greek theatre?

Priests
Priests sat on the front row of the theatre in throne-like seats. The festival lasted seven days and celebrated the beginning of spring. Alongside the performances of the plays, there were grand processions, animal sacrifices, good citizens were honoured and slaves were freed.

What was the theatron and what was it used for?

From amphi, meaning “on both sides” or “around” and theatron, meaning “place for viewing.” An oval or circular, open-air performance space with tiered seating on all sides. Roman arena used for gladiator games, circuses, animal hunts, and executions.

How was the auditorium divided?

It was simply the auditorium. The Koilon was divided into two Diozoma. There was the upper Diozoma and the lower Diozoma. The Diozoma are like the rows of a movie theater today.

What were the original wooden seats known as?

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. They were called the “prohedria” and reserved for priests and a few most respected citizens.

How many ancient Greek plays survive?

But only 32 complete plays survive, by just three playwrights – out of hundreds, or perhaps as many as 1,000 texts by around 80 authors.

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.

How many Oedipus plays are there?

Of his eight plays (seven full, one fragmented) that remain today, his most famous is Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex), which is known for its impressive construction and use of dramatic devices.

What is the oldest known structure in drama?

It took shape as early as 4000 BC. The oldest dramas are the 55 Pyramid texts (3000 BC and before), which were written on tomb walls – have plot, characters, stage directions.

How many people would attend ancient Greek plays?

Up to 15’000 people would attend a play at once meaning the theatres needed to be built in a way everybody could see the actors performing.