| Medallion of Athenian Coin (see p. 63, n. 1) | Front Cover |
| Fig. 1.—The Theater of Dionysus Eleuthereus at Athens as Seen from the Acropolis | Frontispiece |
| PAGE | |
| Fig. 2.—Sketch Map of Attica and the Peloponnesus, Showing Early Centers of Dramatic Activities in Greece | 3 |
| Fig. 3.—Caprine Sileni upon the François Vase, 600-550 b.c. | facing 26 |
| Fig. 4.—Preparations for a Satyric Drama from a Naples Crater of About 400 b.c. | 25 |
| Figs. 5, 6.—Views of a Satyr-Play from a Dinos in Athens | facing 26 |
| Fig. 7.—Views of a Satyr-Play from a Dinos in Bonn | facing 26 |
| Fig. 8.—Poet and Choreutae of a Satyric Drama from a Pompeian Mosaic | 28 |
| Fig. 9.—Satyrs on a British Museum Crater of About 450 b.c. | 30 |
| Fig. 10.—A British Museum Psykter by Duris of About 480 b.c., Probably Showing Influence of Contemporaneous Satyric Drama | facing 31 |
| Fig. 11.—A Satyr upon a Würzburg Cylix of About 500 b.c. | facing 32 |
| Fig. 12.—A Comus upon a Berlin Amphora | facing 32 |
| Fig. 13.—A Comus upon a British Museum Oenochoe | facing 38 |
| Fig. 14.—A Comus upon a Berlin Amphora | 39 |
| Figs. 15, 16.—Comus Scenes upon a Boston Skyphos | 40 |
| Fig. 17.—Comic Actors and Flute Players upon an Attic Vase in Petrograd | 47 |
| Fig. 18.—An Attic Terra Cotta in Berlin Representing a Comic Actor | 48 |
| Fig. 19.—An Attic Terra Cotta in Munich Representing a Comic Actor | 48 |
| Fig. 20.—Actors of Dorian Comedy upon a Corinthian Crater in Paris | 49 |
| Fig. 21.—Actors of Dorian Comedy upon a Corinthian Vase | 50 |
| Fig. 22.—Ground Plan of a Greek Theater with Names of Its Parts | 57 |
| Fig. 23.—Cross-Section of a Greek Theater with Names of Its Parts | 58 |
| Fig. 24.—Cross-Section of the Graeco-Roman Theater at Ephesus with Names of Its Parts | 61 |
| Fig. 25.—Theater at Oeniadae in Acarnania | facing 62 |
| Fig. 26.—Theater and Temple of Apollo at Delphi | facing 62 |
| Fig. 27.—Theater at Megalopolis in Arcadia | facing 62 |
| Fig. 28.—Theater at Pergamum in Asia Minor | facing 62 |
| Fig. 29.—Plan of the Acropolis at Athens | 62 |
| Fig. 30.—Athenian Coin in the British Museum Showing the Parthenon and Outline of the Theater of Dionysus Eleuthereus | 63 |
| Fig. 31.—Parthenon and Theater of Dionysus; in Foreground Altar in Precinct of Dionysus Eleuthereus | facing 64 |
| Fig. 32.—Precinct of Dionysus Eleuthereus in Athens, Showing Dörpfeld’s Restoration of the Early Orchestra and of the Lycurgus Theater | 64 |
| Fig. 32a.—Cross-Section of Precinct of Dionysus Eleuthereus in Athens, Showing Later and Early Temples and Early and Later Orchestras | 65 |
| Fig. 33.—East Fragment of Wall Belonging to the Early Orchestra in Athens | facing 64 |
| Fig. 34.—West Fragment of Wall Belonging to the Early Orchestra in Athens | facing 64 |
| Fig. 35.—Outline of the Oldest Walls of the Scene-Building in Athens | 67 |
| Fig. 36.—Theater of Dionysus in Athens Looking North: Choregic Monument of Thrasyllus in the Background | facing 68 |
| Fig. 37.—Theater of Dionysus in Athens Looking North and West | facing 68 |
| Fig. 38.—Ground Plan of the Hellenistic Theater in Athens According to Dörpfeld | 71 |
| Fig. 39.—Nero Balustrade and Pavement, and Phaedrus Stage of the Theater in Athens | facing 72 |
| Fig. 40.—Plan of the Romanized Theater in Athens According to Dörpfeld | 73 |
| Fig. 41.—Frieze of the Phaedrus Stage in Athens | facing 72 |
| Fig. 42.—Vitruvius’ Theatrum Latinum According to Dörpfeld | 76 |
| Fig. 43.—Vitruvius’ Theatrum Graecorum According to Dörpfeld | 77 |
| Fig. 44.—Movements of the Actors in Aristophanes’ Frogs, vss. 1-460 | 89 |
| Fig. 45.—Stone Chair of the Priest of Dionysus Opposite the Center of the Orchestra in Athens | facing 90 |
| Fig. 46.—Plan of the Theater at Epidaurus in Argolis | 102 |
| Fig. 47.—Epidaurus—the Auditorium from the North | facing 104 |
| Fig. 48.—Epidaurus—Orchestra and Scene-Building from the South | facing 104 |
| Fig. 49.—Epidaurus—the West Parodus | facing 104 |
| Fig. 50.—Epidaurus—the East Parodus | facing 104 |
| Fig. 51.—Epidaurus—the Gateway in the West Parodus | facing 104 |
| Fig. 52.—Epidaurus—Looking through the West Parodus | facing 104 |
| Fig. 53.—Ground Plan of the Theater at Eretria in Euboea | 105 |
| Fig. 54.—Cross-Section of the Theater at Eretria | 106 |
| Fig. 55.—The Theater at Eretria as Seen from the Northwest | facing 106 |
| Fig. 56.—Ground Plan of the Theater at Oropus in Attica | 109 |
| Fig. 57.—The Scene-Building of the Theater at Oropus | facing 106 |
| Fig. 58.—Ground Plan of the Graeco-Roman Theater at Termessus | 110 |
| Fig. 59.—The Proscenium of the Graeco-Roman Theater at Ephesus | facing 111 |
| Fig. 60.—Ground Plan of the Early Hellenistic Theater at Ephesus | 112 |
| Fig. 61.—The Later Hellenistic Theater at Ephesus: Above, Elevation of Proscenium and Episcenium; Below, Ground Plan of Proscenium and Parodi | 113 |
| Fig. 62.—Ground Plan of the Graeco-Roman Theater at Ephesus | 114 |
| Fig. 63.—Ground Plan and Cross-Section of the Theater at Priene | 115 |
| Fig. 64.—The Theater at Priene as Seen from the Southeast | facing 111 |
| Fig. 65.—A “Wagon-Ship” of Dionysus and Processional upon an Attic Skyphos in Bologna of About 500 b.c. | facing 120 |
| Fig. 66.—Ivory Statuette of a Tragic Actor | facing 162 |
| Fig. 67.—Distribution of Rôles to Actors in Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus | 180 |
| Fig. 68.—Mask of a Slave in New Comedy | facing 212 |
| Fig. 69.—Terra Cotta Mask in Berlin Representing a Courtesan in New Comedy | facing 212 |
| Fig. 70.—Ground Plan of the Theater at Thoricus in Attica | 227 |
| Fig. 71.—Auditorium and Orchestra of the Theater at Thoricus | facing 228 |
| Fig. 72.—Horizontal Sections of Proscenium Columns at Megalopolis, Eretria, Epidaurus, Delos, and Oropus | 236 |
| Fig. 73.—A Fourth-Century Vase in Munich Representing the Vengeance of Medea | 237 |
| Fig. 74.—The Athenian Theater of about 460 b.c., Showing the Earlier Type of Eccyclema | 286 |
| Fig. 75.—Wilhelm’s Transcription and Restoration of Two Fragments of the Athenian Fasti | 320 |
| Fig. 76a.—Wilhelm’s Transcription and Restoration of Two Fragments of the Stone Didascaliae at Athens | 322 |
| Fig. 76b.—Translation of Inscription in Fig. 76a | 323 |
| Fig. 77a.—A Fragment of the Athenian Victors’-List | facing 324 |
| Fig. 77b.—Wilhelm’s Transcription and Restoration of Two Fragments of the Athenian Victors’-List | facing 324 |
| Fig. 78.—Wilhelm’s Transcription and Restoration of Four Fragments of the Athenian Victors’-List | 328 |
| Fig. 79.—Wilhelm’s Transcription and Restoration of Five Fragments of the Athenian Victors’-List | 329 |
| Fig. 80.—The Villa Albani Statue of Euripides in the Louvre with the Beginning of an Alphabetical List of His Plays | 333 |
About This Book
A comprehensive study argues that the conventions of ancient Greek drama are largely determined by its social and architectural environment, tracing origins, historical development, and foundational principles of tragedy and comedy. It emphasizes technical aspects of dramaturgy—structure, staging, and performance practice—while reexamining Aristotle’s treatment of spectacle versus poetic form. The author supplements classical evidence with medieval and modern parallels to illuminate practical theatrical problems and treats the ancient playwrights as living artists confronting real dramatic issues rather than remote mythic figures.