The Greek Theatre and Festivals: Documentary Studies

by Peter Wilson

Overview

A collection of essays, by leading international scholars, on the history of the Greek theatre, and on the wider context of festival culture in which theatrical activity took place in the Greek world. The emphasis is on the documentary material - inscriptions, archaeological remains and monuments - which provides so much of our 'hard' evidence for the activities of the theatre. Much of the important material discussed here is unknown except to specialists, and these studies offer access to its interpretation to a wider audience. They cover a wide range of time and place, from the earliest days of the Greek theatre to the Roman period, with special emphasis on the neglected Hellenistic period, which is especially rich in documentary evidence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199277476
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	08/02/2007
Series:	Oxford Studies in Ancient Documents
Pages:	456
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 5.84(h) x 1.05(d)

About the Author

Peter Wilson is William Ritchie Professor of Classics at the University of Sydney.

Table of Contents

Introduction: From the ground up, Peter WilsonI. Festivals and performers: some new perspectives1. Deconstructing festivals, William Slater2. Theatre rituals, Angelos Chaniotis3. Artists' participation and the organization of music contests in the Hellenistic period: an attempt at classification, Sophia AneziriII. Festivals of Athens and Attica4. The men who built the theatres: theatropolai, theatronai, and arkhitektones, Eric Csapo5. Choregic monuments and the Athenian democracy, Hans Goette6. Performance in the Pythion: the Athenian Thargelia, Peter WilsonIII. Beyond Athens7. Dithyramb, Tragedy - and Cyrene, Paola Ceccarelli and Silvia Milanezi8. A Horse from Teos: epigraphical notes on the Ionian-Hellespontine Association of Dionysiac Artists, John Ma9. Kraton, son of Zotichos: artists' associations and monarchic power in the Hellenistic period, Brigitte Le Guen10. Theoria and theatre at Samothrace: the Dardanos by Dumas of Iasos, Ian Rutherford11. The Dionysia at Iasos: its artists, patrons, and audience, Charles Crowther12. An opisthographic lead tablet from Sicily with a financial document and a curse concerning choregoi, David Jordan13. Sicilian choruses, Peter Wilson

Editorial Reviews

"Wilson's 'worm's-eye view' reveals fascinating and important new data and challenges many preconceived ideas. Wilson's stated aim is to energize the study of the documentary base of the Greek theatre and encourage others to explore differing trajectories of inquiry. To this end, Wilson and his contributors succeed in offering this detailed, thoughtful, and illuminating book, which should be essential reading for anyone seriously interested in studying the Greek theatre." —Classical World

From the Publisher