ANHS1600 Lecture 11: Lecture 11
15 May 2018
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Department
Course
Professor
Lecture – Drama and Politics in Classical Athens
12/04/16
Key Question: Why Drama? How and Why did it appear when it did? What is it for? What needs did
it serve?
Cultural forms don’t just merge at random. It is important to question the “what” and “why” about
theatre.
Poetry into drama:
Poetry was a massive public occasion, drawing on huge sectors / the entire community.
It was a tradition at the heart of Greek / Athenian society.
The inheritance of Epic: Iliad and Odyssey → Major event which forged new identities in the
Mediterranean world.
A few centuries later poets like Alcman portrayed a wide range of poems which highlighted social
and political functions.
Solon of Athens: Solon was a leading politician and poet. He used his poetry as part of his political
campaign.
As we get closer to the classical age, beginning of 5th century we know an interesting fact about
Homer. The Homeric epics were imported on block to Athens by Hipparchos. The practice of having
performed the Iliad and the Odyssey for the first time in Athens from beginning to end may have
begun in 522 B.C.
Drama and theatre as we know it was also a part of the social tradition.
The birth of drama: Tyranny or Democracy?
- We don’t know exactly when it begun. There are two possibilities:
1- 530 B.C – Hipparchos was a powerful person in the city. Along with Homer he may have instituted
other performances in the city. This means it was under Tyranny.
2- It could have been 20 or so years later between 510 and 508 – under the new democracy.
Parian Marble – Inscription set up in the year of 263 dating a chronic of events before 263.
Entry on the inscription: “From when Thespis the poet, who brought out a play in the city, was the
first to (speak in dialogue), and (the prize) of a goat was established, two hundred and seventy [?]
years, when [ ] –naios the earlier was Archon at Ath[ens].’ → A man named Thespias was the first
ever tragic actor put on a play in Athens somewhere between 538 to 528. This would link Drama and
performance to Tyranny.
Second inscription: “From when choruses of men first competed, and Hypodikos of Chalkis won the
prize, two hundred an forty six years, when Lysagoras was Archon in Athens”. → This links to
democracy from the year 508 which was the same year as the reforms of Kleisthenes. The passage
refers to the first competition in men’s choruses and implies a major reform of Athenian Dionysia in
508, possibly also including the introduction of tragedy to it.
We don’t know whether it begun under tyranny or democracy.
Tragic poets → Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides
Document Summary
Lecture drama and politics in classical athens. It is important to question the what and why about theatre. Poetry was a massive public occasion, drawing on huge sectors / the entire community. It was a tradition at the heart of greek / athenian society. The inheritance of epic: iliad and odyssey major event which forged new identities in the. A few centuries later poets like alcman portrayed a wide range of poems which highlighted social and political functions. Solon of athens: solon was a leading politician and poet. He used his poetry as part of his political campaign. As we get closer to the classical age, beginning of 5th century we know an interesting fact about. The homeric epics were imported on block to athens by hipparchos. The practice of having performed the iliad and the odyssey for the first time in athens from beginning to end may have begun in 522 b. c.
