Ancient Greek Theater

TIMELINE

7th Century BC

c. 625         Arion at Corinth produces named dithyrambic choruses. A dithyramb is an emotional choric hymn or speech

6th Century BC

600-570      Cleisthenes, tyrant of Sicyon, transfers "tragic choruses" to Dionysus,the god of wine and revelry, therefore a fertility god                                                                        

540-527      Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens, founds the festival of the Greater Dionysia,an annual springtime dramatic festival 

536-533     Thespis puts on tragedy at festival of the Greater Dionysia in Athens.Thespis, is known as the first actor of tragedy,                        thus actors are called "Thespians."

525             Aeschylus born.First writer of a tragedy.

511-508      Phrynichus' first victory in tragedy

c. 500         Pratinus of Phlius introduces the satyr play to Athens. A satyr is a mythological figure--half man, half goat--used in                         bawdy comedies.

5th Century BC

499-496      Aeschylus' first dramatic competition

c. 496         Sophocles born

492             Phrynicus' Capture of Miletus (Miletus was captured by the Persians in 494)

485             Euripides born

484             Aeschylus' first dramatic victory

472             Aeschylus' Persians

467             Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes

468             Aeschylus defeated by Sophocles in dramatic competition

463?           Aeschylus' Suppliant Women

458             Aeschylus' Oresteia (Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, Eumenides)   

456             Aeschylus dies

c. 448         Aristophanes born. Aristophanes was the first great writer of satirical comedy.

447             Parthenon begun in Athens

c. 445         Sophocles' Ajax

441             Sophocles' Antigone

438             Euripides' Alcestis

431-404      Peloponnesian War (Athens and allies vs. Sparta and allies)

431             Euripides' Medea

c. 429         Sophocles' Oedipus the King

428             Euripides' Hippolytus

424             Aristophanes'- Acharnians. The Knights 

423             Aristophanes' Clouds

422             Aristophanes' The Wasps - ridiculed the regular courts of justice. 

421             The Peace was written in the interests of the recently concluded peace between Athens and Sparta.

415             Euripides' Trojan Women

During the seven years that passed before Aristophanes exhibited another play, a law had been passed to check political satire. In the second group, beginning with The Birds (414 B.C.) he turned to social satire and ridiculed the fondness of the Athenians for litigation. Lysistrata (411 B.C.) 

406            Euripides dies; Sophocles dies

405            Euripides' Bacchae

404            Athens loses Peloponnesian War to Sparta

401            Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus

4th Century BC

399            Trial and death of Socrates

385            Death of Aristophanes'

384   Aristotle born.

c. 380's      Plato's Republic includes critique of Greek tragedy and comedy

c. 330's      Aristotle's Poetics includes defense of Greek tragedy and comedy 

Richard Schechner, Approaches to Theory/Criticism(JSTOR)

LYSISTRATA

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/7700/7700-h/7700-h.htm (The play Text)