City Dionysia

• Dionysus


  god of wine and drama

  late addition to the gods worshipped in Greece and in Athens
• When was the City Dionysia held?

  in late march
• held in late March


  celebration of harvesting grape crops
• who instituted City Dionysia


  by the Peisistratids
• religious and dramatic festival


  performance of plays was a ritual act - in the Sanctuary of Dionysius
• contest for plays


  famous annual dramatic contest for tragedies and comedies
• who organised the city Dionysia

  eponymous archon
• choregos


  private citizen who paid for the production of a play
• famous choregos


  Pericles was choregos for Aeschlus' Persians
• Entrance fees to watch the plays in City Dionysia

  theoric fund paid for poor citizens to attend
• City Dionysia - events of day 1


  procession

  dithyrambs - choral dances in honour of Dionysus

  general revelling in the evening
• Procession on day 1


  includes a sacred phallos known to be a fertility symbol
• dithyrambs


  choral dances in honour of Dionysius
• City Dionysia - events of day 2


  sacrifice

  wine offerings

  parades

  comedy plays
• Opening ceremony - Day 2

  piglet was sacrificed

  strategoi pour win-offerings (libations) to the gods

  parades
• Parades in Opening Ceremony - Day 2


  tribute parade of allied contributions

  honours parade for service to the city

  parade of war orphans educated by the city
• Comedy plays


  on day two, 5 comedies are performed