Skip to Main Content

drama banner

The Greek Chorus

greek chorus gif

 

A Greek chorus (or just chorus) in the context of Ancient Greek drama (and modern works inspired by Greek drama) is a group of performers, who comment on the story and dramatic action. Plays in Ancient Greece included a chorus that offered a variety of background and summary information to help the audience follow the performance.

Links: Greek Literature

Important Greek Poets

HOMER

Time Period: likely active between 750 and 700 BC

Genre: Epic Poetry

Famous Works: The Iliad and The Odyssey


HESIOD

Time Period: active between 750 and 650 BC

Genre: Epic Poetry and Didactic Poetry

Famous Works: Theogeny and Works and Days


SAPPHO

Born: 630 BC on Lesbos, Greece

Died: 570 BC (aged about

Genre: Lyric Poetry

Famous Works: while only fragments of Sappho's poetry remain, her poetry is well-known for its romantic and love themes


PINDAR

Born: 518 BC in Cynoscephalae, Boiotia

Died: 438 DC in Argos (aged about 80)

Genre: Lyric Poetry

Famous Works: Victory Songs, The Odes

Important Greek Playwrights

AESCHYLUS

Born: 525 BC near Athens

Died: 458 BC in Sicily, Italy (aged about 67)

Genre: Tragedy

Famous Works: Prometheus Bound


ARISTOPHANES

Born: about 446 BC in Athens

Died: about 386 BC (aged about 60) in Delphi

Genre: Comedy

Famous Works: The Clouds, The Knights, Lysistrada, The Frogs


EURIPIDES

Born: about 480 BC on Salamis Island

Died: about 406 BC in Macedonia (aged about 74)

Genre: Tragedy

Famous Works: Medea, Electra


SOPHOCLES

Born: 497 or 496 BC in Colonus, Attica

Died: 406 or 405 BC (aged 90–92) in Athens

Genre: Tragedy

Famous Works: Antigone, Oedipus Rex, Electra (yes, Euripides and Sophocles wrote their own versions of this drama)

An Introduction to Greek Theatre

The battle of the Greek tragedies

Why is Aristophanes called "The Father of Comedy"?

Everything you need to know to read Homer's "Odyssey"

Thespis, Athens, and The Origins of Greek Drama

Greek Comedy, Satyrs, and Aristophanes

What can we learn from the ancient Greek poet Sappho?