What Does greek theater Mean
The concept of Greek theater is used in different ways. The expression can refer to the plays created and performed in Ancient Greece , or refer to the type of construction of theater venues that was common in those years.
The idea of Greek theater, therefore, can mention the theatrical performances that took place in Greece between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC . They took place in open-air circular spaces: the action took place in the center and the audience was located around the performers.
This theater was not conceived, however, as a show according to what we understand today by that notion. The Greek theater, in this sense, had ritual and religious purposes . Many times it was about celebrations.
In the first place, it is worth mentioning the great importance that myths and legends had in Greek literature, where we find dozens of stories that lead us to go through incredible adventures at the hands of heroes and gods, always from a perspective loaded with symbols that arrived at be part of the culture. In this context it is possible to distinguish between two cycles: the Trojan , where we find the heroes and families who stood out in the Trojan War , such as Menelaus, Agamemnon, Orestes and Electra; the Theban , with characters such as Antigone, Oedipus, Polynices and Eteocles, as well as the gods Zeus and Dionysus.
With regard to celebrations of a religious nature, the Greek theater has been part of them since Ancient Athens, which dates back to about five centuries before Christ. According to the information that scholars of this fascinating culture have gathered, one of the oldest and most popular festivals was the one held in honor of Dionysus, son of Zeus and Semele ; it was held between the 11th and 13th of the month Anthesterion (a Greek term that can be translated as "month of flowers", and which is close to the current February).
As an element of architecture , the Greek theater used to be erected on the side of a mountain to take advantage of the elevation. Thanks to the semicircular design, good acoustics were ensured and thousands of spectators could observe the events.
The sound is really one of the highlights of these buildings, and this can be seen, for example, in the Theater of Epidaurus , located in Argolis (Peloponnese), which is considered by experts the most successful has achieved in this aspect. Its design is so suitable that a person sitting in one of the upper rows, approximately 70 meters away from the stage , can easily hear the voices of the actors. As a matter of interest, the proclamation of independence from Greece took place in this same theater in 1822.
It is possible to distinguish three central elements in each Greek theater: the orchestra (where the choirs were located: those in charge of narrating or guiding the actions through song), the skené (a raised platform where the actors performed ) and the koilon ( the stands).
Regarding the costumes used in Greek theater, undoubtedly the use of masks by the actors to hide their faces stands out, something essential for the performance of the rite in the earliest performances. As time went by, when the staging left behind the religious character, the masks served to help characterize the interpreters.
The main Greek theater is considered to be the Theater of Dionysus , located on the Acropolis of Athens . It was dedicated to the god Dionysus and housed works in his honor. Historians believe that the Theater of Dionysus began to be built in the 6th century BC and had a capacity of about 16,000 spectators .