Storiascopio · Era 5 of 12 · primary year 5
The theatre of Aeschylus
472 BC · Theatre of Dionysus, Athens (Greece)
In short
In 472 BC Aeschylus' play “The Persians”, the oldest tragedy to survive complete, was performed in Athens. Aeschylus had really fought at Marathon, and in the play he tells of the Persian defeat at Salamis as seen by the losing side. Tragedies were staged during the festivals of the god Dionysus, in open-air theatres with thousands of spectators. The actors, all men, wore masks and played the women's parts too.
Why it matters With Aeschylus, the theatre becomes the place where the city thinks about itself, about power and about suffering.
Source: Treccani, entry “Eschilo”
Where we are in the era “Ancient Greece”
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about 800 BCEvent 12 of 25about 100 BC
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/the-theatre-of-aeschylus/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class