1. Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and the harvest.
Greek theatre began over 2,500 years ago. At first, plays were written to be presented at religious festivals of the gods, like Dionysus.
Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and the harvest.

2. There are three main types of drama.
Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides wrote tragedies (drama in which the main character suffers a disastrous end).
Aristophanes and Menander wrote comedies (light, humorous dramas with a happy ending).
A special type of play called the satire play made fun of something serious. Aristophanes wrote a satire, Knights, which poked fun at government officials.

3. Homer (not the Simpson)
Homer possibly (there is still a debate about whether he really existed) wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey
The Iliad is an epic tale about the Trojan War. The Spartan princess, Helen, left her husband (King of Sparta) for Paris, the Trojan Prince. The Spartans tried to attack the Trojans, but could not get through the walls of Troy. Using trickery by Odysseus, the Greeks hid inside of a large horse, which got them inside the gates of Troy. The Greeks were then able to easily destroy it.
The Odyssey is about Odysseus’ ten year journey back home after the Trojan War.

4. #5: Briefly describe The Iliad
The Spartan princess, Helen, left her husband for Paris of Troy. The Spartans tried to get her back, but couldn’t get over the wall of Troy. To get her back, Odysseus built a large Trojan horse to trick Troy. The Greeks hid inside & attacked once inside the city.

5. The Greeks built their theaters on hillsides
The Greeks built their theaters on hillsides. They used the natural slope of the hill for seating the audience. A large circular area called the orchestra was located at the foot of the hill. It was here that the members of the chorus moved as they chanted their lines. Behind the orchestra was a raised platform on which the actors performed. A small building named the skene was built in the back of the acting platform. The skene was where the actors changed masks. The Greeks used the front wall of the skene to represent the location of the play. Our word scene comes from skene.

6. The Greeks built their theaters on hillsides
The Greeks built their theaters on hillsides. They used the natural slope of the hill for seating the audience. A large circular area called the orchestra was located at the foot of the hill. It was here that the members of the chorus moved as they chanted their lines. Behind the orchestra was a raised platform on which the actors performed. A small building named the skene was built in the back of the acting platform. The skene was where the actors changed masks. The Greeks used the front wall of the skene to represent the location of the play. Our word scene comes from skene.