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There are conflicting ideas, some argue that it was only members of the polis (male citizens) who attended (i.e. no women, children, slaves, prisoners etc.), while others argue performances honoring Dionysus, and other Gods later, were so important religiously and socially that EVERYONE came. Having studied theatre history for a decade now, I am inclined to agree with the former over the latter, as women in Ancient Greece rarely left the confines of the home, for to do so was to invite scandal and was believed to be quite dangerous.

At any rate, performances are believed to have lasted all day, ending at sunset since there wasn't any advanced lighting technology available as yet. The audiences were notoriously rowdy and came and went, drank and ate meals and argued the merits of the plays performed. This was a social time that is believed to have spurred democracy by offering a place where people came together communally and debated the major moral issues presented by the Greek tragedies and the satirical messages of the comedies. The largest theatres could hold up to 15,000 people who came from all over to see the performance competitions (3 plays in one day).

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12y ago

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