Theatre of Dionysus as viewed from the Acropolis.

The Theatre of Dionysus was a major open air theatre in ancient Greece, built at the foot of the Athenian Acropolis and forming part of the temenos of "Dionysus Eleuthereus". Dedicated to Dionysus, the god of plays and wine (among other things), the theatre could seat as many as 17,000 people, making it an ideal location for ancient Athens' biggest theatrical celebration, the Dionysia. It became the prototype for all Theatres of ancient Greece. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1746x1134, 1029 KB)Theatre of Dionysus photo G Larson File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1746x1134, 1029 KB)Theatre of Dionysus photo G Larson File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Acropolis of Athens, seen from the hill of the Pnyx to the west. ... The Dionysos Theatre in Athens built into the Acropolis, ~3rd century BC. The Greek theatre (AE theater) or Greek drama is a theatrical tradition that flourished in ancient Greece between c. ... The Temple to Athena, the Parthenon Ancient Greece is a period in Greek history that lasted for around three thousand years. ... Athens (Greek: Αθήνα - Athína) is the largest city and capital of Greece, located in the Attica periphery of central Greece. ... The Acropolis of Athens, seen from the hill of the Pnyx to the west. ... Greek Temenos ([1], from the Greek verb to cut) (plural = temene) is a piece of land cut off and assigned as an official domain, especially to kings and chiefs, or a piece of land marked off from common uses and dedicated to a god, a sanctuary, holy grove or holy... Dionysus with a leopard, satyr and grapes on a vine, in the Palazzo Altemps (Rome, Italy) Dionysus or Dionysos (from the Ancient Greek Διώνυσος or Διόνυσος, associated with the Italic Liber), the Thracian god of wine, represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficial influences. ... The Dionysia was a large religious festival in ancient Athens in honour of the god Dionysus, the central event of which was the performance of tragedies and comedies. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with prototyping. ... The Dionysos Theatre in Athens built into the Acropolis, ~3rd century BC. The Greek theatre (AE theater) or Greek drama is a theatrical tradition that flourished in ancient Greece between c. ...

It was the first stone theatre ever built — cut into the southern cliff face of the Acropolis — and the birthplace of Greek tragedy. The remains of a restored and redesigned Roman version can still be seen at the site today.

During the 5th century BC the theatre housed competitions between Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes and Aeschylus. They would perform their plays and the audiences served as judges.

In the mid 4th century BC, racked stone tiers were constructed (where wooden benches probably resided before) in order to allow more seating. After this the theatre fell into disuse and little is recorded until 61AD where there is evidence of major renovations done by the emperor Nero.

Coordinates: 37.97034° N 23.727784° E

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Theatre of Dionysus