The Great Urban Dionysia and Tragedy as a Political Instrument and Way of Thinking

Abstract

This study provides a brief history of Greek tragedies and their interaction within the social, religious, and political structures of the polis in the 5th century BC. The aim of this work is to argue that ancient Greek theater was not only a cultural event but also a political instrument and a means of reflecting on Athenian democracy. This study examines the festivities in honor of the god Dionysus, with emphasis on the Great Urban Dionysia (534 BC) and the Lenaia. Following this, the tragedy Antigone, by Sophocles, is discussed as a paradigmatic case study of the tension between human and divine law, individual and community, power and limits. It was possible to ascertain that within the political framework of the polis, the staging of plays and the competitions that took place in Ancient Greece were regulated by the State, ensuring that all Athenian citizens (including the poorest) or metics (foreigners) participated in the festivals, reinforcing the argument that tragic theater was a political instrument.