Greek Theater Final

Kurios: Male head of the household. Influence the portrayal of familial authority and relationships, particularly in tragedies involving family dynamics.

Thesmophoria: A festival dedicated to Demeter and Persephone, celebrated by women. It could be referenced in plays to highlight themes of fertility, agriculture, or female solidarity.

Maenads / Bacchae: Female followers of Dionysus, often depicted in theater as ecstatic, frenzied worshippers. They are central to Euripides' play The Bacchae, where they live in the woods.

Sicilian Expedition (415 BCE): A disastrous Athenian military campaign during the Peloponnesian War. It might be alluded to in plays to critique Athenian imperialism or hubris.

Castor - Clytemnestra’s sibling: One of the Dioscuri (twin sons of Zeus). In theater, Castor and his brother Polydeuces often appear as divine interveners or symbols of brotherly loyalty.

Polydeuces - Helen’s brother (Zeus as father): The other twin of the Dioscuri. Like Castor, he could appear in plays as a divine figure or to resolve conflicts.

Dioscuri: The collective name for Castor and Polydeuces. They often appear in plays as deus ex machina figures, resolving plotlines through divine intervention.

Hippolyte: Queen of the Amazons, often associated with myths involving Heracles or Theseus. Mother of Hippolytus

Amazons: A race of warrior women. In theater, they symbolize challenges to traditional gender roles and are often depicted in conflict with Greek heroes.

Pasiphae: Wife of King Minos and mother of the Minotaur. Her myth might be referenced in plays to explore themes of unnatural desire and its consequences.

Hubris - pride: Excessive pride or arrogance, often leading to a character's downfall in Greek tragedy. It is a central theme in many plays, such as Sophocles' Oedipus Rex or Bachhae

Spartoi: Mythical "sown men" who sprang from dragon's teeth planted by Cadmus. Echion was the father of pentheus

Eros: The god of love. In theater, Eros represents the power of desire, often driving the actions of characters and complicating plots, such as in Hippolytus.

Linear B tablets: Ancient scripts used for record-keeping in Mycenaean Greece. Predates theater.

Agenor: A Phoenician king, father of Cadmus and Europa. His family's myths might be referenced in plays involving themes of migration and destiny.

Cadmus: Founder of Thebes and slayer of the dragon. His story often serves as a mythological backdrop for Theban plays, such as those by Sophocles.

Semele: Mother of Dionysus by Zeus. Killed when zeus came into his true form.

Ino**: Semele's sister, who becomes a sea goddess. Her myth might appear in plays to explore themes of transformation and divine retribution.

Autonoe**: Another sister of Semele, mother of Actaeon. Her story could be referenced in plays involving familial tragedy or divine punishment.

Agave: Mother of Pentheus in The Bacchae. Kills her son proving the power of the gods and Dionysus

Actaeon: A hunter torn apart by his own dogs after seeing Artemis bathing and being turned into a deer. 

Theomachia: A battle between gods. In theater, this could be depicted as a divine conflict influencing the lives of mortals.

Etiology: A narrative explaining the origin of a custom, ritual, or natural phenomenon.

Thiasos: A group of worshippers, particularly of Dionysus. In theater, the thiasos often represents collective ecstasy and devotion.

Thyrsoi: Staffs carried by Dionysus and his followers, often topped with a pine cone. They symbolize the god's power and are used in rituals and theatrical performances.

Oreibasia - to walk and step: Dionysus' followers leave for the mountain: A ritualistic procession to the mountains by Dionysian worshippers. This might be depicted in plays to show the ecstatic and wild nature of Dionysian worship.

Omophagia: The ritual eating of raw flesh by Dionysian followers. It symbolizes communion with the god and might appear in plays to emphasize the primal aspects of worship.

Sparagmos: The tearing apart of a living animal (or person) by Dionysian followers. This act of violence is central to The Bacchae and symbolizes the destructive power of the god.

Entheos - to get god inside of you: Dionysus merging with you: A state of divine possession or inspiration.

Echion - Pentheus’ father, son of one of the Spartoi: A Theban hero and father of Pentheus. His lineage ties Pentheus to the mythic founding of Thebes.

Pentheus - King who is killed by his mother in Bacchae: The tragic protagonist of The Bacchae, whose resistance to Dionysus leads to his downfall. His story explores themes of hubris and divine retribution.

Mania: Madness or frenzy, often induced by the gods. In theater, mania is a common theme, particularly in plays involving Dionysus or other deities.

Sophia: Wisdom or cleverness. Characters with sophia might outwit others or navigate complex moral dilemmas in plays.

Theomachos: One who battles against the gods. This term could describe characters like Pentheus, who defy divine will.

Komodia: sleep songs: Early form of comedy, possibly involving lighthearted or satirical themes. It evolved into the comedic genre of Greek theater.

Komos: revelry song: A festive procession with singing and dancing, often associated with comedy and Dionysian worship.

Archilochus (650 BCE): An early Greek poet whose work influenced the development of lyric poetry and, indirectly, the choral elements of Greek theater.

Aristophanes (450-385): A master of Old Comedy, known for plays like The Frogs and Lysistrata, which blend humor with social and political commentary.

Cratinus (career: 454-423): A prominent comic playwright who competed against Aristophanes. His works often satirized contemporary figures and events.

Eupolis (career: 429-411): Another comic playwright of Old Comedy, known for his sharp wit and political satire.

Parabasis: A section in Old Comedy where the chorus addresses the audience directly, often breaking the fourth wall to comment on political or social issues.

Aigospotamoi: The site of a decisive Spartan naval victory over Athens in 405 BCE. This event might be referenced in plays to critique Athenian military strategy.

Phrynicus: An early tragedian who pioneered many elements of Greek tragedy. His works influenced later playwrights like Aeschylus.

Arginusae: A naval battle in 406 BCE where Athens defeated Sparta. It might be referenced in plays to explore themes of victory and its costs.

Batrachoi - frogs in Greek: The chorus of frogs in Aristophanes' The Frogs, who provide comic relief and commentary on the journey to the underworld.

Choreophaios - leader of chorus: The leader of the chorus, who often interacts with the actors and guides the choral performance.

Arginusae - granting citizenship to slaves: A historical event where slaves were granted citizenship for their service in the Battle of Arginusae.

Litys: A type of song or lament, possibly used in choral performances to express grief or sorrow.

Philomela - sister of Procne who helps get revenge on husband Tereus: A mythological figure whose story of transformation and revenge might be adapted into plays to explore themes of justice and metamorphosis.

Melos: A term for song or lyric poetry, often used in choral odes within Greek theater.

Euelpides: A character in Aristophanes' The Birds, who seeks a utopian society free from human corruption.

Peisetaerus: The protagonist of The Birds, who convinces the birds to build a city in the sky and becomes their leader.

Tereus - King who is turned into a bird because he sexually abuses and rapes a woman, then cuts her tongue. He was also fed his son.

Procne: Wife of Tereus, who takes revenge on him for his crimes. Her story might appear in plays to explore themes of justice and retribution.

Itys - son of Procne and Tereus, who is fed to Tereus: A tragic figure in the myth of Tereus and Procne, symbolizing the consequences of betrayal and revenge.

Theogony - birth of the gods; in Birds, birds are representative of Eros, who creates gods (reproduction): The origin of the gods, as described by Hesiod. In The Birds, the chorus humorously claims that birds predate the gods and are the source of creation.