drama as social event

Greek plays were performed as part of religious festivals in honor of the god Dionysus, and unless later revived, were performed only once. Plays were funded by the polis, and always presented in competition with other plays, and were voted either the first, second, or third (last) place. Tragedies almost exclusively dealt with stories from the mythic past (there was no "contemporary" tragedy), comedies almost exclusively with contemporary figures and problems.

Tragedies were being presented to honor god Dionysus. In the major Athens area four festivals were being organized in god's honor: The Rural Dionyssia, the Lenea, the Anthesteria (or Small Dionyssia) and the Great Dionyssia.

Tragic contests were being organized during the Lenea and the Great Dionyssia (sometimes also during the Anthesteria). During the Rural Dionyssia some old plays were represented. New tragedies were presented during the Great Dionyssia, the biggest celebration after Panathenea. This celebration was lasting for six days. The first day was the day when the sacred parade was taking place (foreigners were allowed to participate). The next two days were the days, when dithyrambic dancing contests were being held. During the last three days drama contests were being organized.

Only three poets were allowed to participate. The Honorable Archon had the right to make the choice of the three final participants. If a poet wished to participate, he had to submit to the Honorable Archon three tragedies and one satiric drama, in other words, a tetralogy. The Archon was choosing the three poets, who were paid from the State, as also the hypocrites, three for every poet. The expenses for the chorus were covered by Sponsors (choregoi), wealthy Athenians. They were also paying for the costumes and the chorus teacher (if the poet needed one). The Sponsors were deeply respected in Athenian society. Some times the sponsorship was being considered as an income task. Still some wealthy Athenians volunteered for this task.

A few days before the contest the list of the judges was being formed ( 500 Athenians - 50 from each line ). Their names were written in little spheres and kept closed in ten urns in Parthenon.

The presentation was beginning with the sunrise. Every poet participated each of the three last days with his tetralogy. The Athenians who were attending the presentation did not pay any ticket, because this was paid to the producer by the State (Theorica), so that even the poor could participate to the celebration.

At the end of the presentation ten judges were being elected, one out of every urn, five of which, chosen by lottery, were deciding for the winner, after taking under consideration and the opinion of the audience (based on their reactions). The herald was announcing the name of the winner and the Honorable Archon was putting on the winner's head a crown of ivy, the holy plant of Dionysus. The State was keeping official records of the contests, on boards made of marble with the names of the poets, the sponsors and the hypocrites.

The Choragic Monument of Lysicrates near the Acropolis of Athens was erected by the choregos Lysicrates, a patron of many theatrical performances in the Theater of Dionysus, to commemorate the award of first prize in 335 BC or 334 BC, to one of the performances he had sponsored. The choregos was the sponsor who paid for and supervised the training of the dramatic dance-chorus

Comedies were also being presented to honor god Dionysus. Since 486 B.C. during the Great Dionyssia, as the sources mention, after the contest of tragedy the contest of comedy was taking place. The contest lasted only one day. Five poets of comedy used to present play, and one of them was the winner.

After the 4th century B.C. the performances of comedy were no more connected with Dionysus. Comedies were presented in honor of other Gods. Dramatical contests were organised during fests. After 315 b.C. comedies, as well as tragedies, were presented during several social events like royal weddings, after victories, e.t.c..

Men, women, children, slaves and foreigners could watch the theatrical performances. The state had attended to grand the compensation of ticket in the destitutes. There were some people who cared to put the public to their seats. The spectators passed all their day in the theatre, so they brought the suitable supplies. The rerepresentations began afterwards the official ceremonies. The story was acquaintance and the only things which changes were the music, the interpretation and the philosophy of the story. The spectators show if they liked the show or they disapproved it.

The drama reached in top at 5^th B.C. century. This period wasn’t accidental. There was democracy in Greece. The Attic drama wasn’t only a form of art, like today, but a social institution. The big national problems such as the war, the peace of justice and the conflicts from the big political problems had place in the ancient Greek tragedies.