Greek Theatre History

625 BC : Dithyrambic Chorus

625 BCE

625 BC: Arion of Corinth, a performer of Greece, invented the dithyrambic chorus. A dithyrambic chorus is a choral hymn sung by men to honor Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility. A tyrant of Sicyon named Cleisthenes presented the idea of choruses to Dionysus. During this time, contests were held by the Greeks to honor their gods. These contests inspired playwrighting.

600-570 BC : City of Dionysia

600 BCE

600-570 BC: A tyrant of Athens named Pisistratus established a festival called “City of Dionysia” dedicated to Dionysus.

540-527 BC: Thespis

540 BCE

A Dionysian priest named Thespis became an actor. He is well-known for being the first actor.

534 BC: Thespis won

534 BCE

534 BC: Held in Athens, the first festival was recorded. Thespis won a theatrical award in the first competition for tragedy.

530 BC: Tragedy

530 BCE

530 BC: Tragedy plays became popular in Greece, leading Pisistratus to establish a theater. It resembled the shape of a bowl so that everyone could see what was going on.

525 BC: First playwright for Tragedy

523 BCE

525 BC: The first playwright for tragedy, Aeschylus, was born. He wrote many tragedies such as ‘Seven against Thebes’, ‘Agamemnon’, and ‘Eumenides’.

500 BC: Satiric Drama

500 BCE

500 BC: Pratinus of Philius introduced satiric drama to the festival. Satyrs were fictional characters that were half human and half goat.

496 BC: Sophocles

496 BCE

496 BC: Sophocles, a tragedy playwright, was born. He wrote tragedies which consisted of the ‘Ajax’, ‘Antigone’, and ‘Oedipus the King’.

485 BC: Euripides

485 BCE

485 BC: Euripides, another tragedy playwright, was born. He wrote ‘Medea’, ‘Helen’, and ‘Orestes’.

458 BC: Aeschylus' Oresteia

485 BCE

“The Oresteia” trilogy by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus consists of the three linked plays “Agamemnon”, “The Libation Bearers” and “The Eumenides”. The trilogy as a whole, originally performed at the annual Dionysia festival in Athens in 458 BCE, where it won first prize, is considered to be Aeschylus’ last authenticated, and also his greatest, work.

484-468 BC: Sophocles defeats Aeschylus

484 BCE

484-468 BC: Aeschylus won a prize for his tragedies. A while after, Sophocles defeats Aeschylus in a dramatic competition.

463 BC: Aeschylus' Suppliant Women

463 BCE

The Suppliants also called The Suppliant Maidens, or The Suppliant Women, is a play by Aeschylus. It was probably first performed sometime after 470 BC as the first play in a tetralogy, sometimes referred to as the Danaid Tetralogy.

456 BC: Aeschylus dies

456 BCE

Aeschylus, the great playwriter known as the Father of Greek Tragedy, died in a most unexpected way. He was said to have been killed by a tortoise which was dropped by an eagle that had mistaken his head for a rock suitable for shattering the shell of the reptile

450 BC: Aristophanes' Birth

450 BCE

Aristophanes was born in Athens between 450 and 445 B.C.E. into a wealthy family. He had an excellent education and was well versed in literature, especially the poetry of Homer (eighth century B.C.E. ) and other great Athenian writers. His writings also suggest a strong knowledge of the latest philosophical theories.

445 BC: Ajax

445 BCE

Sophocles' Ajax “Ajax” is a tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles. Although the exact date of its first performance is unknown, most scholars date it to relatively early in Sophocles' career (possibly the earliest Sophoclean play still in existence), somewhere between 450 BCE to 430 BCE

441 BC: Sophocles' Antigone

441 BCE

Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 441 BC.
It is the third of the three Theban plays but was the first written, chronologically. The play expands on the Theban legend that predated it and picks up where Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes ends.

438 BC: Euripides' Alcestis

438 BCE

Alcestis is an Athenian tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides.[1] It was first produced at the City Dionysia festival in 438 BCE. Euripides presented it as the final part of a tetralogy of unconnected plays in the competition of tragedies