A collection of essays on theatre performance in the classical Greek and Roman world This 2007 Companion offers a wide-ranging picture of the performance conditions and background of theatre in the classical world from Homer to the end of the Roman Empire. It will be of interest to students of drama and classics, and also readers with an interest in the theatre's history and practice. List of illustrations ix Notes on contributors xii A note on transliteration xvi Introduction 1(12) Marianne McDonald J. Michael Walton PART I: TEXT IN CONTEXT `Telling the tale': a performing tradition from Homer to pantomime 13(23) Mark Griffith Ancient theatre and performance culture 36(19) Richard P. Martin Religion and drama 55(17) Fritz Graf The socio-political dimension of ancient tragedy 72(20) Jon Hesk Aristotle's Poetics and ancient dramatic theory 92(16) David Wiles Politics and Aristophanes: watchword `Caution!' 108(16) Gonda van Steen Comedy and society from Menander to Terence 124(15) Sander Goldberg Lost theatre and performance traditions in Greece and Italy 139(24) Hugh Denard PART II: THE NATURE OF PERFORMANCE Art and theatre in the ancient world 163(21) Richard Green Festivals and audiences in Athens and Rome 184(18) Rush Rehm Playing places: the temporary and the permanent 202(25) Richard Beacham Chorus and dance in the ancient world 227(20) Yana Zarifi Masks in Greek and Roman theatre 247(21) Gregory McCart A material world: costume, properties and scenic effects 268(18) Graham Ley Commodity: asking the wrong questions 286(17) J. Michael Walton The dramatic legacy of myth: Oedipus in opera, radio, television and film 303(24) Marianne McDonald Playwrights and plays 327(4) Glossary of Greek and Latin words and terms 331(10) Select bibliography 341(13) Index 354