Ancient Greece is known for its heroic tales of wars.From hosting the ancient Olympic Games to the brave Spartan warriors, ancient Greece has managed to engrave its name in the pages of history. The ancient Greeks are also known to have engaged in various fun activities in their leisure time.The ancient Greek theater was a major attraction for the Greeks. The plays performed at the Greek theater were usually stories of comedy or tragedy. Other than theater, the Greeks also engaged in dancing, music, and philosophy. Games like the ancient Olympic Games, Pythian Games, and the Nemean games were also hosted at various places.Thus every time of the year had something or the other to keep the citizens engaged. Sports like long jump, discus, javelin, wrestling, chariot racing, and boxing were all part of the games being hosted. There were also several clubs, where anyone could join and actively take part in political or philosophical discussions.Women however were denied many of such pleasures, as they could not go outside their house without the company of any male family member. They had to spend their time usually by doing daily chores or by engaging in other domestic activities like weaving or spinning.If you enjoyed reading this article, then why not also read about ancient Greek civilization facts and ancient Greek coins facts here on Kidadl.Fun Facts About Ancient Greek EntertainmentThe Olympics Games have roots in ancient Greece, where people from different city-states came to witness the grand event.It was initially a part of the religious festivals, however over time, various events like chariot racing, boxing, javelin, and discus throwing were added. The ancient Olympics were hosted in honor of the Greek god Zeus.Other games included the Pythian Games, Isthmian Games, and Nemean Games as well. Like the ancient Olympics, the Nemean games were also hosted in honor of the ancient Greek god Zeus.All these events were a major part of the culture of ancient Greece and hundreds and thousands of people joined in to spectate the games. The games included horse racing, long jump, wrestling, and boxing as well. Not only the athletic events but there were also musical contests, singing, and more, all meant for the pleasure of the audience.The ancient Greeks were extremely fond of artworks and theater and they were a valuable part of the culture of the ancient Greeks. However, only male actors were chosen for performing in plays. Females were not allowed to be a part of the plays. Therefore, on occasions when there was a need for a female character in the play, the male actor was used to portray the female characters. But since they all wore masks on stage it was not particularly weird. Theaters were initially used only used for festivals. There were also various other sports competitions meant for both refreshment and physical fitness of the people of ancient Greece.Facts About Ancient Greek TheatersThe ancient Greek theater was an important part of the culture of ancient Greece. Almost every city of ancient Greece had a theater.The reason why it was so important is that all religious festivals conducted plays, where actors performed in front of a large audience. The play performed in a Greek theater was either a comedy story or a tragedy or a satyr play.Ancient Greece in fact has been given credit for introducing the concept of theater. The theater was usually an open-air amphitheater and the average theater could accommodate as many as 18,000 audience members. The priests sat on the front row of the theaters.Built on hillsides, the theater was semi-circular in shape for a better view for the audience and for the acoustic advantages, and within the theater was the stage where the audience could see the play being performed.Depending on the story of the play performed at the theater, the actors wore different colored costumes. For example, if the play featured a story of tragedy, usually dark-colored costumes were worn by the actors, and if the play was a comedy, then the actors wore bright-colored clothing. Along with the costumes, actors also had to wear large masks, so that they would be clearly visible to those sitting at the back. The masks that were worn by the actors further depicted the various emotions and expressions of their characters.In plays of tragedy, large frowns were drawn on the masks, and in comedies, big grins were drawn on the masks. However, these masks had a certain disadvantage as well. Wearing those masks, made the sound of the actors performing in the plays, muffled. Therefore, to curb the problem, usually, a chorus was placed in the front of the stage. The chorus consisted of a group of people who spoke to the audience about the plays being performed to the audience through dancing, singing, and recitation.There were also passageways in the theaters, meant for the exit and entrance of the chorus members or the actors and even for the audience.Greece was indeed ahead of its time in the ancient world and the plays depicted their social life as well. Comedies were usually centered around the day-to-day happenings, while the stories of tragedy were usually drawn from past events or myths and legends.Facts About Ancient Athens EntertainmentAthens was involved in all forms of varied activities, like politics, music, athletic affairs, theater and plays, philosophy, science, and much more.The ancient Greek theater, germinating in Athens, usually hosted plays that were either a tragedy or a comedy. The plays performed in the theater were centered around Greek gods and politics as well. They featured both music and dance and were a valuable source of pleasure for the people of ancient Greece.However, although the men were active participants, the women, in particular, were denied some of these pleasures.Actors performing in the ancient Greek theater were always male, and women were not even allowed to spectate. They mostly spent their day-to-day life engaged in household chores or any other domestic work like weaving and spinning.The women of Athens did not enjoy as much freedom as the males. There was no formal education for them and they were married off at a very early age. Ancient Greek culture believed women had only two duties, to bear children and to take care of the house. Even though the legends tell us of many powerful and celebrated Greek goddesses, the general treatment of women can be called oppressive. They were also not allowed to watch any sports played by the men.The ancient Greeks of Athens also had several clubs, where one could engage in political discussion or business deals freely as well as play games. Various classes of people were allowed in these clubs, including foreigners.Facts About Ancient Greek CultureArt and philosophy were major aspects of the culture of ancient Greek.Not only, the ancient Greek theater, but there were also many renowned Greek artists and sculptors, who have made some unique and diverse artworks. From the detailed facial features to uniquely designed buildings, some of them are still considered to be the finest artworks in today’s modern civilization. Greek art began during the Cycladic and Minoan civilizations.The Greek civilization was heavily influenced by politics, science, language, and philosophy. This is clearly visible from the various monuments and the rich history that they have left behind. The ancient Greek theater, in particular, captures the most attraction, because of the intellectual way it was built.Featuring stories of tragedy or a comedy, hundreds of spectators from all around the world, used to visit to be a part of the experience. The ancient Greek theater was so huge that it could accommodate almost 18,000 individuals at one time.There were also various games played in honor of Gods, like the ancient Olympics. However, the Greek women did not get to enjoy much of the pleasures or the refreshing activities that males could. The Greek women were married young, and they were not even allowed to spectate the games. Greek women could not roam around in public freely and always had to be accompanied by men. They could not visit the ancient Greek theater, let alone participate in the plays of comedy or tragedy that were being performed there.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 111 ancient Greek entertainment facts: what did they do for fun? Then why not take a look at ancient Greek education facts or ancient Greek literature facts.
Ancient Greece is known for its heroic tales of wars.
