Greek theater: description, history and interesting facts. Interesting facts about the ancient theater

1. In the Greek theater there was a special position - rabdukh, whose duties included hitting the spine of particularly raging spectators with a stick.
2. In one of the theaters of Ionia there was a special row for one-armed warriors. A row of bald slaves was seated in front of them, and by hitting their bald heads, the first could applaud.
3. For a long time In ancient Roman comedy it was forbidden to show Roman citizens in a funny way. That is why Roman comedy depicted Greeks and Greek life. And so it turned out that the Greeks and Romans showed touching unanimity: the Greeks laughed at themselves, the Romans also laughed at the Greeks.
4. The great Greek playwright Aeschylus died when a turtle fell from the sky onto his bald head. The playwright's bald head was mistaken for a rock by an eagle flying across the sky, which released a turtle to break its shell and feast on its meat.
5. When in the battle of the Athenians and Samians part of the army marched under the leadership of the playwright Sophocles (this honor was given to him as a reward for his outstanding services to the city), he had to fight with troops led by the Eleatic philosopher Melissus. The playwright triumphed over the philosopher.
6. Ancient Greek playwright Phrynichus once presented his play “The Taking of Miletus” in the theater - about the destruction of the Greek city by the Persians. She upset the audience so much that the whole theater burst into tears; As punishment, the authorities sentenced the poet to a fine of one thousand drachmas and banned the production of his play.
7. In the Greek theater there were only three actors, each of whom could play several roles. Sometimes, as a curiosity, a fourth actor appeared - a parachoregema, who became a “burden of the choregas” (as his name is translated), since the choregas (that is, the sponsor, who was a wealthy citizen of the city), who was in charge of the production, was responsible for additional duty to pay for the extra performer.
8. In Sophocles' Antigone they sing different places plays Antigone and Creon. How can this be explained, since we know that in the ancient theater only singers usually sang? main actor called the protagonist? It’s just that in this case, the Greek theater entrusted the protagonist with the performance of the corresponding parts of both roles: first he played the entire role of Antigone - right up to her death, and then - at the end of the play - he changed clothes into Creon, who had previously been played by another actor.
9. In classical times of Athens, watching a theatrical production of a tragedy was mandatory for all residents of Athens, except slaves. Therefore, the whole city gathered at the performance. The poor were paid compensation for money unearned during this time. When the people in charge of the productions began to charge admission fees, the government of Athens also began to pay this money to the citizens. But decent women were not allowed to attend comedy productions, except that hetaeras could be in the theater for a performance comic works.
10. All roles in the Greek theater were played by men. Female actresses appeared later; they were all girls of easy virtue and performed only in mimes (rather obscene scenes of everyday life) and pantomimes.
11. Greek playwrights, presenting their tragedies on stage, competed with each other. The winning playwright received an ivy wreath as a reward. The winning choregas (sponsor of the production) could erect a monument to himself, which was never made from life and on which both the name of the choregas and the name of the playwright were indicated.
12. Before the performance of tragedies on an orchestra (a round stage like an arena modern circus, where performances were given in Greece) they cut up piglets and sprinkled them with the blood of the spectators.
13. Actors in Greece performed in masks, which could be changed only once - as a result of a peripeteia (for example, when King Oedipus in Sophocles turned from sighted to blind).
14. Philip of Macedon was killed in a local theater.
15. Already in the 3rd century BC. e. playwright-comedian Philemon hired clackers against his rival Menander.
16. For his jokes against the politician Cleon, playwright-comedian Aristophanes was beaten by the latter’s servants right in the theater.
17. In the Roman theater, a curtain appears that does not rise upward and does not diverge to the sides, as it does now, but falls into a special slot in the floor.
18. The Roman playwright Livius Andronicus himself played the main roles in his tragedies. When one day he lost his voice, he began to entrust the singing of all the songs to a special boy standing behind him, and he himself only opened his mouth. This is the first recorded use of a phonogram in history.
19. In Rome, the so-called mimetic hypotheses were popular - extended tragicomic performances, which he wrote famous author Philistion. The most popular plot was the adventures of the robber Lavreol, who was crucified on the cross at the end of the performance. At the right moment, the actor was replaced with someone sentenced to death and a real execution was carried out in front of the audience.
20. In the Roman pantomime, hetaeras took part in transparent tunics, which they threw off along the way. Emperor Justinian married one of these dancers, Theodora.

25/11/2010

1. In the Greek theater there was a special position - rabdukh, whose duties included hitting the spine of particularly raging spectators with a stick.

2 . In one of the theaters of Ionia there was a special row for one-armed warriors. A row of bald slaves was seated in front of them, and by hitting their bald heads, the first could applaud.

3. For a long time, in ancient Roman comedy it was forbidden to show Roman citizens in a funny way. That is why Roman comedy depicted Greeks and Greek life. And so it turned out that the Greeks and Romans showed touching unanimity: the Greeks laughed at themselves, the Romans also laughed at the Greeks.

4. The great Greek playwright Aeschylus died when a turtle fell from the sky onto his bald head. The playwright's bald head was mistaken for a rock by an eagle flying across the sky, which released a turtle to break its shell and feast on its meat.

5. When in the battle of the Athenians and Samians part of the army marched under the leadership of the playwright Sophocles (this honor was given to him as a reward for his outstanding services to the city), he had to fight with troops led by the Eleatic philosopher Melissus. The playwright triumphed over the philosopher.

6. The ancient Greek playwright Phrynichus once presented his play “The Taking of Miletus” in the theater - about the destruction of the Greek city by the Persians. She upset the audience so much that the whole theater burst into tears; As punishment, the authorities sentenced the poet to a fine of one thousand drachmas and banned the production of his play.

7. In the Greek theater there were only three actors, each of whom could play several roles. Sometimes, as a curiosity, a fourth actor appeared - a parachoregema, who became a “burden of the choregas” (as his name is translated), since the choregas (that is, the sponsor, who was a wealthy citizen of the city), who was in charge of the production, had the additional responsibility of paying for the extra performer .

8. In Sophocles' Antigone, the plays Antigone and Creon are sung at different points in the play. How can we explain this, since we know that in the ancient theater only the main actor, called the protagonist, usually sang? It’s just that in this case, the Greek theater entrusted the protagonist with the performance of the corresponding parts of both roles: first he played the entire role of Antigone - right up to her death, and then - at the end of the play - he changed clothes into Creon, who had previously been played by another actor.

9. In classical times of Athens, watching a theatrical production of a tragedy was mandatory for all residents of Athens, except slaves. Therefore, the whole city gathered at the performance. The poor were paid compensation for money unearned during this time. When the people in charge of the productions began to charge admission fees, the government of Athens also began to pay this money to the citizens. But decent women were not allowed to attend comedy productions, except that hetaeras could be in the theater for a performance of comic works.

10. All roles in the Greek theater were played by men. Female actresses appeared later; they were all girls of easy virtue and performed only in mimes (rather obscene scenes of everyday life) and pantomimes.

11. Greek playwrights, presenting their tragedies on stage, competed with each other. The winning playwright received an ivy wreath as a reward. The winning choregas (sponsor of the production) could erect a monument to himself, which was never made from life and on which both the name of the choregas and the name of the playwright were indicated.

12. Before the performance of tragedies on the orchestra (a round stage like the arena of a modern circus, where performances were given in Greece), piglets were slaughtered and the blood of the spectators was sprinkled on them.

13. Actors in Greece performed in masks, which could be changed only once - as a result of a peripeteia (for example, when King Oedipus in Sophocles turned from sighted to blind).

14. Philip of Macedon was killed in a local theater.

15. Already in the 3rd century BC. e. playwright-comedian Philemon hired clackers against his rival Menander.

16. For his jokes against the politician Cleon, playwright-comedian Aristophanes was beaten by the latter’s servants right in the theater.

17. In the Roman theater, a curtain appears that does not rise upward and does not diverge to the sides, as it does now, but falls into a special slot in the floor.

18. The Roman playwright Livius Andronicus himself played the main roles in his tragedies. When one day he lost his voice, he began to entrust the singing of all the songs to a special boy standing behind him, and he himself only opened his mouth. This is the first recorded use of a phonogram in history.

19. In Rome, the so-called mimetic hypotheses were popular - extended tragicomic performances, which were written by the famous author Philistion. The most popular plot was the adventures of the robber Lavreol, who was crucified on the cross at the end of the performance. At the right moment, the actor was replaced with someone sentenced to death and a real execution was carried out in front of the audience.

20. In the Roman pantomime, hetaeras took part in transparent tunics, which they threw off along the way. Emperor Justinian married one of these dancers, Theodora. .

In the Greek theater there was a special position - rabdukh, whose duties included hitting the spine of particularly raging spectators with a stick.

In one of the theaters of Ionia there was a special row for one-armed warriors. A row of bald slaves was seated in front of them, and by hitting their bald heads, the first could applaud.

For a long time, in ancient Roman comedy it was forbidden to show Roman citizens in a funny way. That is why Roman comedy depicted Greeks and Greek life. And so it turned out that the Greeks and Romans showed touching unanimity: the Greeks laughed at themselves, the Romans also laughed at the Greeks.

The great Greek playwright Aeschylus died when a turtle fell from the sky onto his bald head. The playwright's bald head was mistaken for a rock by an eagle flying across the sky, which released a turtle to break its shell and feast on its meat.

When, in the battle of the Athenians and Samians, part of the army marched under the leadership of the playwright Sophocles (this honor was given to him as a reward for his outstanding services to the city), he had to fight with troops led by the Eleatic philosopher Melissus. The playwright triumphed over the philosopher.

The ancient Greek playwright Phrynichus once presented his play “The Taking of Miletus” in the theater - about the destruction of the Greek city by the Persians. She upset the audience so much that the whole theater burst into tears; As punishment, the authorities sentenced the poet to a fine of one thousand drachmas and banned the production of his play.

In the Greek theater there were only three actors, each of whom could play several roles. Sometimes, as a curiosity, a fourth actor appeared - a parachoregema, who became a “burden of the choregas” (as his name is translated), since the choregas (that is, the sponsor, who was a wealthy citizen of the city), who was in charge of the production, had the additional responsibility of paying for the extra performer .

In Sophocles' Antigone, Antigone and Creon are sung at different points in the play. How can we explain this, since we know that in the ancient theater only the main actor, called the protagonist, usually sang? It’s just that in this case, the Greek theater entrusted the protagonist with the performance of the corresponding parts of both roles: first he played the entire role of Antigone - until her death, and then - at the end of the play - he changed clothes into Creon, who had previously been played by another actor.

In classical times of Athens, watching a theatrical production of tragedy was mandatory for all Athenian residents except slaves. Therefore, the whole city gathered at the performance. The poor were paid compensation for money unearned during this time. When the people in charge of the productions began to charge admission fees, the government of Athens also began to pay this money to the citizens. But decent women were not allowed to attend comedy productions, except that hetaeras could be in the theater for a performance of comic works.

All roles in Greek theater were played by men. Female actresses appeared later; they were all girls of easy virtue and performed only in mimes (rather obscene scenes of everyday life) and pantomimes.

Greek playwrights, presenting their tragedies on stage, competed with each other. The winning playwright received an ivy wreath as a reward. The winning choregas (sponsor of the production) could erect a monument to himself, which was never made from life and on which both the name of the choregas and the name of the playwright were indicated.

Before the performance of tragedies on the orchestra (a round stage like the arena of a modern circus, where performances were given in Greece), piglets were slaughtered and the blood of the spectators was sprinkled on them.

Actors in Greece performed in masks, which could be changed only once - as a result of a peripeteia (for example, when King Oedipus in Sophocles turned from sighted to blind).

Philip of Macedon was killed in a local theater.

Already in the 3rd century BC. e. playwright-comedian Philemon hired clackers against his rival Menander.

For his jokes against the politician Cleon, playwright-comedian Aristophanes was beaten by the latter's servants right in the theater.

In the Roman theater, a curtain appears that does not rise upward and does not diverge to the sides, as it does now, but falls into a special slot in the floor.

The Roman playwright Livius Andronicus himself played the main roles in his tragedies. When one day he lost his voice, he began to entrust the singing of all the songs to a special boy standing behind him, and he himself only opened his mouth. This is the first recorded use of a phonogram in history.

In Rome, the so-called mimetic hypotheses were popular - extended tragicomic performances, which were written by the famous author Philistion. The most popular plot was the adventures of the robber Lavreol, who was crucified on the cross at the end of the performance. At the right moment, the actor was replaced with someone sentenced to death and a real execution was carried out in front of the audience.

The Roman pantomime featured hetaeras wearing transparent tunics, which they took off as they went along. Emperor Justinian married one of these dancers, Theodora.

In the Greek theater there was a special position - rabdukh, whose duties included hitting the spine of particularly raging spectators with a stick. In one of the theaters of Ionia there was a special row for one-armed warriors. A row of bald slaves was seated in front of them, and by hitting their bald heads, the first could applaud.

In classical times of Athens, watching a theatrical production of tragedy was mandatory for all Athenian residents except slaves. Therefore, the whole city gathered at the performance. The poor were paid compensation for money not earned during this time. When the people in charge of the productions began to charge admission fees, the government of Athens also began to pay this money to the citizens. But decent women were not allowed to attend comedy productions, except that hetaeras could be in the theater for a performance of comic works.

All roles in Greek theater were played by men. Female actresses appeared later; they were all girls of easy virtue and performed only in mimes (rather obscene scenes of everyday life) and pantomimes.

Actors in Greece performed in masks, which could be changed only once - as a result of a peripeteia (for example, when King Oedipus in Sophocles turned from sighted to blind).

Philip of Macedon was killed in a local theater.

Already in the 3rd century BC. e. playwright-comedian Philemon hired clackers against his rival Menander.

For his jokes against the politician Cleon, playwright-comedian Aristophanes was beaten by the latter's servants right in the theater.

In the Roman theater, a curtain appears that does not rise upward and does not diverge to the sides, as it does now, but falls into a special slot in the floor.

The Roman pantomime featured hetaeras wearing transparent tunics, which they took off as they went along. Emperor Justinian married one of these dancers, Theodora.

It originated in ancient times. Prosperity and greatest development it then reached Greece. Its function was to disseminate socio-ethical and religious concepts, thereby uniting various segments of the population. Tragedies and comedies, images and characters created by poets at that time are masterpieces today literary classics. We will get acquainted with the history of the Greek theater and its features in this article.

Story

The very word "theater" Greek origin. Literally it translates as “place for spectacles.” The era of the birth of the Greek theater (5-4 centuries BC) is considered to be a standard model. Characteristic feature its is the harmony of proportions and elements. This applies to architecture, plastic arts and the performing arts itself.

Initially, Greek theater was associated with the celebration of the deity Dionysus. The democratic structure, established by the 5th century BC, contributed to the rapid growth of the popularity of theater in Athens and the attraction of masters of poetic words to it. Often buildings and venues for performances were used for public meetings, since initially, when built, they were designed for a large number of public and could accommodate from 10 thousand people. The sacred attribute of the Greek theater of that period was the altar of Dionysus. It was located in the central part of the building - the orchestra - and was a kind of reminder of the religious beginning of art.

The very first theater was located in Athens, on the southeastern slope of the Acropolis. It was named after its patron deity, and the society of actors was called the “Dionysian Masters.” The theater was under open air, the seats for spectators were wooden. At the end of the 5th century the seats collapsed. Therefore, the inhabitants of Athens jointly built a theater - special places for the public.

Features of productions

The birth of Greek theater marked new stage development of art, not only literary and oratorical, but also stage. It was based on symbolic games and cult rituals. Back at the end of the 6th century, three were popular theatrical genre: comedies, tragedies and satyr dramas. Productions took place not only in Athens, but also in other Greek cities. They were associated with Dionysius festivals and important state events. Through the intricacy of the characters’ characters and actions, it was possible to convey to the people important political ideas and laugh at the problems of the day.

At the end of the 4th century, theater in Ancient Greece lost its connection with religion. Now only important state events were celebrated with dramatic performances. At the same time, the authors of the plays and actors tried to captivate the audience so much that the entire stage play turned into a single experience. And the audience seemed to become the protagonist.

Architectural features

The history of the Greek theater in architectural terms includes two main periods: classical and Hellenistic.

The Theater of Dionysus served as a model (i.e., a classic). It included three parts: an orchestra - a round platform for actors to perform. During archaeological excavations in 1895 it was found that its diameter was approximately 27 meters. At first the public was freely seated around the site, then theatron appeared, or auditorium. It became the second mandatory part of the theater building. The seats were located on the hillsides. The rows formed one after another and went upward. The theatron was divided by vertical and horizontal passages, forming wedges. The front rows were occupied by influential people. The stage and auditorium were separated by a moat with water. The third part included the skena building. This room was built of wood. Props and scenery were stored there, actors changed clothes and prepared to go out. Skena was on opposite side scenes from the auditorium.

The Hellenistic period dates back to the 4th century BC, when the first marble theater was built. The seats for spectators were made of stone, and the seats for influential people were artistic chairs. The front wall of the orchestra was decorated with columns.

Under Nero, the orchestra and stage were rebuilt according to the Roman example, in relation to gladiatorial battles. The actors now played on a platform connecting the colonnade to the front wall of the stage. Its height was about 3.5 meters above the orchestra.

Theaters of the Hellenistic period accommodated up to 17 thousand spectators in Athens, and in metropolitan areas - up to 44 thousand.

Syracuse

One of the oldest is the Greek theater in Syracuse, a Hellenic colony on the island. Sicily. It was built in the 5th century BC. Its special feature was the stands, carved into the rock and facing the sea. There was a stage against the backdrop of a picturesque landscape. The actors “fought” there with words and gestures. Public meetings were also held in the amphitheater. Its capacity was approximately 15 thousand spectators. An echo of the honoring of Dionysus was the long pedestal running to the west of the theater. According to archaeologists, it was a sacrificial altar, on which, at one time, more than one hundred bulls were offered to the gods every spring.

After Syracuse was captured by the Romans, the theater's design was changed to accommodate gladiator fights. In the 18th century, the eruption of Mount Etna destroyed Syracuse and with it its ancient Greek heritage. What remained was stolen by local residents.

Modern restorers have managed to restore most amphitheater And today there are performances and concerts there in the evenings under the light of torches and special lighting devices.

Taormina

Another monument ancient art considered to be the Greek theater in Taormina (east coast of Sicily). Its limestone construction dates back to the 3rd century BC. e. The spectator seats also faced the sea and were designed for 10 thousand people. In the 1st century, the Romans rebuilt the theater building. The magnificent acoustics, which should have given the actors' voices a magical sound, now amplified the cries of the defeated gladiators and the excited audience.

In the 19th century, restoration work was carried out. Russian architects V. A. Kosov and M. E. Messmacher also took part in them. They got the restoration plans and facades. Today the Greek theater in Taormina is the pride of the city. Cultural events are held here. One of the significant ones is International festival arts, which takes place annually in the spring.

Actors and choir

In Greek theatrical productions musical accompaniment performed by the choir. According to the rules, the number of actors did not exceed three. And there were often more characters in the script. Therefore, one actor had to play several roles. To do this, he changed costumes and put on different masks. Women did not participate in the performances. Women's images portrayed by men.

The actors of the Greek theater were divided into three groups according to the level of skill and importance of their roles: protagonists, deuteragonists and tritagonists. High-ranking officials - archons - supervised the stage games. They chose actors for the authors by lot. The responsibility of the archons also included the selection of poets for theatrical competitions. Remuneration for actors and maintenance of choirs came from the state treasury.

The performances were held as competitions. Three poets took part in them. Each performed with a group of plays. It included three tragedies and a satyr drama. Performances were given in the open air for three to four days.

Ticket prices

At first dramatic performances the Greek theater had free admission for men and women, citizens and meteks (non-full-fledged residents). Later a fee was introduced spectator seat. By modern standards, it was approximately 500 rubles. In order for everyone to come to the theater, money was given from the state treasury. On this occasion, in the 4th century BC. e. There was even a spectacular box office. It was replenished by the remainder of expenditures for the needs of the state.

Influence

Greek theater ancient period recognized as fundamental for European theater. To this day, its principles are observed in architecture (the presence of a parterre, an amphitheater, tiers). The ancient drama was staged on the stage of the new theater more than once. Medea and Antigone, Agamemnon and Prometheus, Electra and Phaedra - these heroes have received a second life in modern tragedies, operas and ballets. Greek theater possesses what is now called the essence of this art form - dramatic dialogue and the participation of a living actor.

When the show competitions ended, judges selected by the archons determined the winners and awarded them prizes.

Everyone was allowed to go to the theater. Only visiting comedies was prohibited for married women.

The Greek theater did not have a curtain.

Before Aeschylus, the basis of tragedies was always myth. The ancient Greek playwright introduced a second actor, deepened the conflict of the plays and expanded the action. The appearance of extended dialogues and decorative painting is associated with the work of Sophocles.