The Effect of Gods in Theatre on Daily Life in Athens

Student paper for credit in HIST 2210, LC
Written by: C. McGrail

The classical period—also known as the Golden Age of Athens—was a time of advancement in all aspects of society. Architecture was reaching new highs through the Periclean Building Program. Reconstruction of major buildings and monuments was ordered, including the Parthenon and other major temples. This was intended to display the power and resilience that Athens possessed. 

The Golden Age was also a peak time for arts and literature. New thinkers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle helped expand and broaden the understanding and practice of philosophy. They all interpreted life in different ways and developed these thoughts into philosophies. These new ways of thinking transformed Athenian society, making the population more intellectual, with the ability to question and think critically about their surroundings. 

Most importantly for my focus, the Golden Age helped theatre reach quality never seen before. Aristophanes, Euripides, and Sophocles wrote plays that still resonate today; their work is timeless. Looking at the arts, and particularly theatre, is a valuable method of research when studying a past society. Theatre is where communities come together and express issues or celebrate victories, there are no boundaries when creating art.

The intent of my research is to examine the influences that religion had on theatre, and how the portrayals of the gods affected the lives of the Greek citizens. My research question is: in what ways to do the portrayals of the gods in theatre affect the daily lives of humans in Classical Athens? I used plays, and sources that are linked with said plays, to analyze the influence of the gods on Athenians through theatre.

Athens during the Golden Age was flourishing, and belief in the gods was widespread. Their influence could be seen in many aspects of society, from weather predictions to war. My research is more focused on the average Athenian in contrast with most of history, which is centered around the elites in past societies on the assumption that their lives were more “interesting.” Learning about the “regular” peoples’ lives is one of my favorite ways to approach research. Elites are by definition a very small percentage of the population, so their lifestyles do not represent the norm or average experience of the past. Imagining what my life would be like in the past is a fun way for me to immerse myself in history, exploring the “peoples without history.” Taking a step back and understanding society as a whole is what I am after, a more complete comprehension of the peoples in previous societies.

For my literary reviews, I decided to look at Daniel Ogden’s “A Companion to Greek Mythology,” and Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex.” Ogden’s book turned out to be one of the more important sources that contributed to my research. The book was filled with useful information, and the author laid out the content in a way that felt like a textbook that would be used by post-secondary students, but it was written in a way that kept me engaged with the material. 

Ogden discusses the importance and popularity of religion in Athens; Athens was described as “overrun with idols.” He touches on the more important facets of religion in the city and emphasizes the fact that the gods were extremely important in the lives of Athenians. Ogden’s book played a big role in my research, because while the information was general, it helped me narrow my focus and gave me a sense of direction. 

For example, Ogden briefly described some of the roles that the Athenians assigned to the gods. Aphrodite’s role was to “unite groups of people,” and Hermes’ statues, the herms, were outside many temples and homes to help ward off evil. Learning the different roles of the gods helps in understanding the portrayals of the deities in theatre, including why and how they were they shown in any particular way. 

Ogden also uses images alongside the text. Although images are often unnecessary in textbooks, I find them to be useful. Images provide visuals that aid in providing context, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Some images that the author included—such as a map of the Periclean Acropolis—help further in engaging with the text. Visuals aid in my learning, as they help situate me with the information and give my brain a break from the constant stream of words. Ogden’s book functioned as a foundation from which I could work.

Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex” is one of the more famous plays to emerge from antiquity. I used the translation by Ian Johnston. As a bit of context, the play was first performed at a Dionysia competition. Dionysia competitions were annual festivals where playwrights would compete to entertain the Athenian community, but I will go into more detail when I look at my artefact analysis. “Oedipus Rex” focuses on how one cannot control or change one’s fate, and it was the king’s hubris that led to his downfall. 

In this play the gods were cast in a negative light. Sophocles represented them in a way to make them look like evil, all-powerful deities. He was challenging their reputation and lowering their status. The play was somewhat beneficial for my research question, but it does not show how the public reacted. However, what the play provides me with is insight into Greek culture at the time. The play’s success at the competition shows that it was well received by the viewers, the poor portrayal of the gods did not seem to have a negative effect on the outcome.

The Theatre of Dionysus was where the Dionysia competitions were held. This theatre was a backbone of Athenian society. It was first constructed mid to late 6th century on the slope of the southern hillside of the acropolis. A focus was on providing good acoustics for the crowd; the way the stage was set-up allowed for all members of the audience to have an unobstructed view of the actors and to hear the dialogue clearly. This grand theatre was needed due to the demand created by the Dionysia competitions. They became so popular because well-known playwrights such as Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus, and Aristophanes competed. Some of the plays that won this competition are Sophocles’ “Antigone,’ Aeschylus’ “The Suppliants,” and many, many more. 

These plays entertained the Athenian masses with the theatrical performances they so craved. The Theatre of Dionysus remained popular throughout the ages, evolving with society due to its popularity. Under changing leaders, the theatre received renovations that continued to bolster its importance to the Athenian community. The most notable of these changes came under Lycurgus who ordered the addition of stone seating and a stone skene—this was known as the Lycurgian Reconstruction. The plays put on this stage were regarded as priceless by the elite. 

Theatre was like a glue for the Athenian community. Looking at the Theatre of Dionysus as my artefact analysis relates back to my research question because of its importance that it holds in the field. Without venues such as this, the public would have never been able to experience what the playwrights were creating. The Theatre of Dionysus gave the creative minds of the Golden Age of Athens a stage to express themselves through their work, the theatre is an irreplaceable piece of architecture that helped shape the Greek identity. “Greekness” comes from within, and the arts and literature have a big influence on this concept.  

Throughout my research, I found that the biggest obstacle I faced was finding relevant sources. My research question was focused on the impact that theatre—through the portrayals of the gods—had on the Athenians. I knew from the get-go that I wanted to focus on theatre and I love looking at ancient literature and seeing how it applies to modernity, but I believe I should have approached this research from a different angle. I was unable to find sources that discuss the public’s reaction to theatre. Instead, the sources relating to my topic mainly focus on linking the topics to modern societies. Focusing my research instead on general worship in Athens—while including some plays as sources—would have been far more straightforward. I feel as though I put myself in a box with little ability to expand on the materials. Ultimately, the boundaries I put on my research limited my ability to incorporate a wider variety of sources.

Putting my negative reconsiderations aside, I was generally happy with my final product. I was able to use a variety of sources that helped me find information relating to my topic. Surprisingly, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the readings on the Theatre of Dionysus. It has a rich history of Greek culture, its importance to the people was evident through the unwavering care it received. My research not only expanded my knowledge in a specific area of Greek culture—in my case theatre—but I also gained a firmer grasp of how ancient Greek society functioned as a whole.

Bibliography

Euripides. (2008). Medea. Ian Johnston. 

Handley. E.W. (1985). The Cambridge History of Classical Literature. Cambridge: 

Cambridge University Press.

Kindt, J. (2009). On Tyrant Property Turned Ritual Object: Political Power and Sacred Symbols in Ancient Greece and in Social Anthropology. Arethusa, 42(3), 211-250. 

http://www.jstor.org/stable/44578308 

Martin, T. R. (1996). Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric to Hellenistic times. New Haven: Yale UP.

Miles, M. (1998). Interior Staircases in Western Greek Temples. Memoirs of the 

American Academy in Rome, 43/44, 1-26. doi:10.2307/4238755 

Ogden, D. (2007). A Companion to Greek Religion. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub.

Sophocles. (2004). Oedipus Rex. Ian Johnston.