Theater - Greek Theater

Our modern theater owes its origins to the ancient Greeks. Here is a study guide for classical (Greek and Roman) drama (tragedy, comedy, and more).

Read about the Greek playwright Sophocles.

Introduction to the Ancient Greek art form called Tragedy and the evolution of Greek drama.

Translations of the plays by Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Sophocles, and Euripides.

Greek tragedy structure. The sequence of the parts of the Greek drama.

Pictured here is the ancient theater of Ephesus -- one that is still made use of today -- as the introduction to a series of ancient Greek theaters.

About the theater of Syracuse.

Greek comedy is a theatrical genre that began under the auspices of officials of Athens.

The dithyramb is a feature of Greek tragedy.

The City Dionysia was a Greek dramatic festival.

Index to essential elements of Greek tragedy according to Aristotle.

In Greek poetry a line of Iambic trimeter would have three iambic meters.

A tetralogy was a group of four plays at the City Dionysia, a Greek dramatic competition.

Articles on this site dealing with the Greek tragedians, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aeschylus, and comic playwright Aristophanes, and specific plays.

The names and dates of the tragedies by Euripides.

E-text of an English translation of Ajax, a play by Sophocles.

An English translation of Iphigenia at Aulis, a play by Euripides.

An English translation of Philoctetes, a play by Sophocles about the Greek hero and archer left to fester in Lemnos.

An English translation of The Trojan Women, a play by Euripides.

Essential elements of Greek tragedy according to Aristotle. Terminology used by Aristotle for tragedy.

The choregus was responsible for the performance of Greek drama at the Athenian dramatic festival, the City Dionysia.