Theatre
One of the Ancient Greeks' main forms of entertainment were theatre. Their two main types of plays were tragedy and comedy. Tragedies were serious Greek plays that were usually about mythological Greek heroes, who eventually died because they became too prideful. Comedies were usually about peoples' everyday life and often made fun of celebrities of politicians. Lots of the plays also included music, like the lyre and the aulos. All of the actors wore big masks and costumes with exaggerated expressions, so everyone was able to see. Since only males could become actors, whenever there was a female character, they would have to dress in female clothing. To this day, many people still watch theatre as a form of entertainment
An ancient Greek theatre, where people would watch actors perform.
Sculpture and Architecture
Sculpting and architecture were two very important forms of Ancient Greek art. When they would create sculptures of people, the sculptures were meant to show perfection. They created lifelike images of people who were supposed to be as perfect as possible and had no human imperfections. Two of the most famous Greek sculptures are Zeus at Olympia and Athena at Parthenos. A big part of Greek architecture was its columns. There were three types of columns, Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Doric columns were the simplest and were wider on the bottom and thinner on the top. Ionic columns were thinner than the Doric columns and had two scrolls at the top. Corinthian columns were the most detailed and had many scrolls and leaves that decorated the columns. Other than the columns, Greek architects built temples too. The most famous one is the Parthenon in Athens. It was built for the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena. Many of the Greeks' sculptures and architecture had an influence on art all around the world.
The Olympic Games
The Olympic Games were a big cultural event in Ancient Greece. It was held in Olympia, in honor of the Zeus, the king of the gods, who lived on Mount Olympus. To participate, you had to be a free man who spoke Greek. All the winners of the games were considered heroes and were given olive branches as a prize. Back then, they had much fewer games than we do today. Originally, there was only one event, but eventually, they added more. This included running races, wrestling, chariot racing, and more. The Olympics were huge deals back then and still are now, too.
