26. Study Questions Copy
It was founded in the sixth century BC to commemorate an alliance between Athens and Eleutherae, to honour the god Dionysus.
2. Who were the following:
The eponymous archon was the Athenian magistrate elected for the year (the year was named after him).
The chorus director for a set of plays put on at the Dionysia
3. What were the following:
A dithyramb was a choral dance in honour of Dionysus
A pompe was the grand procession that opened the festival
A komos (revel) was a street party in honour of Dionysus
First day was the pompe, the dithyrambs and the komos. Then, on the second day the opening ceremony, with five comedies presented. On the third, fourth and fifth days were a presentation of a set of three tragedies, followed by a satyr play. At the end of the fifth day was the judging and prize-giving.
Tragedy was a sort of ‘self-help’ therapy process for the community, enabling the audience members to think about difficult moral dilemmas and the nature of suffering.
