This newly updated second edition features wide-ranging, systematically organized scholarship in a concise introduction to ancient Greek drama, which flourished from the sixth to third century BC.
- Covers all three genres of ancient Greek drama - tragedy, comedy, and satyr-drama
- Surveys the extant work of Aeschylus, Sophokles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander, and includes entries on 'lost' playwrights
- Examines contextual issues such as the origins of dramatic art forms; the conventions of the festivals and the theater; drama's relationship with the worship of Dionysos; political dimensions of drama; and how to read and watch Greek drama
- Includes single-page synopses of every surviving ancient Greek play
Revised and updated, this second edition of Wiley's guide to ancient Greek drama offers a concise and accessible introduction. Essential material for any student of the Classics, the content combines utility with authority, covering all three genres - tragedy, comedy, and satyr-drama. It features keynote discussions of the five playwrights whose work survives, single-page synopses of every extant play, and entries on known authors whose work has been lost.
Regarded as a progenitor of Western drama and literature more generally, Greek drama, which flourished from the sixth to the third century BC, is one of the cornerstones of Western culture. The text offers insights into ancient Greek drama's political and cultural context and examines its core themes. In addition to critical essays on playwrights, the contents include material on the origins and conventions of drama, the theater, the performers, and the relationship between drama and the worship of Dionysos, the Greek god of ritual, wine, and festivity. The authors also provide helpful guidance about how to read, watch, and teach Greek drama.
