The Power of Space: The Acropolis, the Theatre of Dionysos, and Tragedy in the 5th Century BCE

Abstract

This dissertation explores the effects of the shared space of the Theatre of Dionysos and the Acropolis during tragic performances in Athens during the 5th century BCE. The theatre's location on the south slope of the Acropolis allowed the Acropolis' depiction of Athenian power, I argue, to speak to audience members as they watched dramatic performances in the theatre space. The theatre's location provides a way of understanding how the mythic plots of the tragedies could speak to the contemporary concerns of the Athenian polis. I am concerned with what the spatial relationship between the Theatre of Dionysos and the Acropolis becomes during the performances, how it contributes semiotic meaning to tragedies that call upon it, and how it influences the thematic effect of these performances. I examine three tragedies historically and ideologically within the context of their first performances: Aeschylus' Persians, Aeschylus' Eumenides, and Euripides' Ion. These case studies reveal the semiotic influence of the Acropolis on tragic performances that refer to its presence within the Theatre of Dionysos. This sampling of plays that span the course of the 5th century disclose the shifting Athenian perception of their polis. They effectively demonstrate the changes in the way the Acropolis presents Athenian power, and the various roles it enact in the performances. Writing about the role of the Acropolis in tragic performances that took place in the Theatre of Dionysos is a project aimed at contributing to the conversation on the role of spatial semiotics in performance, and in particular, ancient performance. This interdisciplinary project contributes to a variety of fields including theatre and performance studies, classics and archaeology, and anthropology.