The arts in ancient Greece encompasses many things. Just in doing these readings about Ancient Greece, you’ve seen some of their artwork in things like the pottery I’ve posted pictures of and in the architecture of the buildings.
They were very mathematical in their architecture designs. Columns were a prominent feature as well as sculptures. The pottery was made from clay. It was painted before it was baked in a kiln to harden.
Their architecture, sculptures, and pottery were imitated by the Romans and elsewhere. You can still see their influence.
Another area of the arts is the theater. There was a theater in the open air in the middle of cities. They were called amphitheaters.
Many of our ideas of the theater also come from ancient Greece. All actors, dancers, and singers were men. The group of them was called the chorus and they performed in the orchestra, that flat area at the bottom of the seating. Chorus and orchestra are words we still use today. The orchestra at the theater today still does sit at the feet of the audience, but it is where the musicians play.
Solo actors were on a raised stage. They had a “skene” hut where they changed costumes. They painted it to make the first scenery. Since the male actors played both the men and the women, they used wigs and masks. The masks showed their emotion, whether happy or sad or angry. They would switch their mask to show their new feeling.
Plays were the movies of the time period. It was entertainment. Great actors were esteemed. The plays, just like movies, could be comedies to make people laugh or tragedies to make people cry. They could be used to teach people lessons.
Picture Credits:
public domain