It Started in Greece.

Did you know that several of things we learn about in school today came from Ancient Greece?  Mathematics, Science and Philosophy were all subjects first studied by the Greeks.  They are also responsible for modern day medicine, as they are known to have performed surgeries to cure illnesses like tonsillitis.  We also have the Greeks to thank for several of our arts like drama and theatre.  They loved the theatre so much that a number of great outdoor stages were built during Ancient times in Greece.  Check out this one.

This theatre was known as Herod Atticus Odeon.  It could seat up to 5000 people!



Odeon means "building for singing competitions", and that is what they were used for.  They are generally much smaller than a full size Greek theatre. 

During theatre productions in Ancient Greece actors would wear masks to help them play their part.  Here are some examples of Greek masks below.

Theatre masks were usually made out of wood or paper, so these masks made out of stone were probably just used as decorations in theatres.



What do you think the play these characters were in was about?  Who do you think was the villain?  Who was the hero?  Why do you think that?