The cultural wealth of Athens peaked during the historical period of about 500 BC to 404 BC.
Festivals Honor God of Wine and Fertility
The playwright Thespis is recognized as the first actor. During performance at a traditional festival to honor Dionysus, the god of fertility and wine, Thespis stepped out of the chorus. He then performed his role in spoken dialogue rather than song. According to Aristotle, that was the beginning of performance tragedy.
The new entertainment form quickly became popular, particularly when two more actors were included. In 538 BC, a competition for the best drama/tragedy was instituted in Athens. At the first Dionysian Festival (534 BC), Thespis became the first recorded competition winner. The festival was not just a celebration of the god. It was also an opportunity to enjoy presentations that appealed to the Greeks’ competitive nature.
The success of the art form and the competition led to inclusion of satyr (about 500 BC) and comedy (486 BC). Comedy and tragedy, considered two separate genres, were not merged in one play. Satyr plays presented the mythological aspects of the tragedies in a comical manner.
Competitions in Tragedy, Satyr, and Comedy
To participate in the competition, playwrights had to make application to a government-selected magistrate. Three tragedy playwrights and three to five comedy writers were selected. A wealthy citizen assigned to each finalist financed the production. The actors were paid by the state.
The playwrights’ material was rehearsed for months, and then taken to Athens for performance at the festival. Each drama presentation comprised three tragedies and one satyr. A unified theme connected the three tragedies. Each playwright presented a full set of four works in one day.
Writers of comedy were required to present only one play each. The light-hearted pieces presented in the early days of the festival eventually gave way to criticisms of the existing politicians and their policies.
Prestige and Honor for Playwrights
There are no records of the prizes given. The prestige of being selected as a contestant and the actual competition were enough reason for the playwrights’ involvement. The additional honor of winning was certainly an incentive. Most of them were not in need of financial rewards.
Prominent Athenians were selected by lottery to judge the presentations. The opinions and responses of the very large audiences could sway their decisions. The audiences comprised mostly men because the plays were considered either too tragic or vulgar for women. The competitions were performed in daytime and often lasted for several days. Official records of the contests were maintained.
The theatre form, technique, and terminology developed in Athens greatly influenced the evolution of the culture through the ages.
Sources:
- The Theatre of the Greeks by Philip Wentworth Buckham, Published by W. P. Grant 1827
- The Context of Ancient Drama by Eric Csapo, William J. Slater, University of Michigan Press, 1994
- Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
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