[Linda Lee]

If you’ve ever gone to a concert, play or movie, you’ve benefited from one of the ancient Greeks’ most obvious contributions to the modern world: the theater.

The word “theater” is derived from the Greek word “theatron,” meaning the seating section of outdoor arenas where people watched plays. The first western theater originated in Athens, and was, like many other ancient Greek theaters, a semi-circular structure cut into a hillside that was capable of seating 10,000 to 20,000 people.

The standard Greek theater consisted of three parts: a dancing floor, dressing room and scene-building area. The acoustics of the theater were one of its most important features, allowing the words of the exclusively male actors to be heard by everyone within. The ancient Greeks loved plays and each town had its own performing company which would compete against that of neighboring towns.

Thespis, a priest of Dionysus, is considered to have started Theater when he first stepped out of a chorus and engaged in dialogue. It is from Thespis that we get the word for actors today: Thespians.

[Hellenic Moon]

Nice post and one minor addition, Aeschylus is considered the father of tragedy as you can see from this clip.

[Author]

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