The theatre (Greek "scene") was an existential part of Greek culture and civilization.
In Athens, tragedies, comedies and satyr games have been performed every year since the end of the 6th century BC. These events, similar to those held in other parts of Greece, had grown out of primitive ritual performances in honour of the god of wine and fertility, Dionysus, and initially only took place during the Great Dionysia in March, and since the second half of the 5th century BCE also on the Lenaeen in January as part of the state festivals.
Five comedies were performed in a random order on one day and three tetralogies, each consisting of three tragedies and one satyr game, were performed on the following days. The pieces to be performed were selected by city officials. They made the actors available to the poet and named a choir rain, which had to ensure the organizational and financial performance. The poet himself directed the production. After the performance, a jury decided on the order of the dramas and distributed the prizes in the form of tribrachs, natural objects, etc.
The audience was recruited from all social classes of the population. Entrance fees were reimbursed by the state to the less well-off, while in the Roman Empire theatre visits were completely free of charge.
The costumes of the actors corresponded to the character of the drama. In the tragedies they were long flowing colorful robes with rich decorations, the actors wore masks. A high hair attachment on the masks, as well as gusset boots (kothurne) with overstrong leather soles made her figures appear higher. In the comedies the actors also wore masks, mostly short robes, often a leather phallos. Extensive leather upholstery on the belly and back gave their bodies grotesque shapes.
The theatre masks worn by Greeks and Romans mostly consisted of model-shaped, stucco-fixed, painted canvas with eye and mouth openings and attached wig. A large number of life-size theatre masks, mainly made in terracotta, also in marble, have been preserved.
Zeus mask original in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Replica reduction.
