Defining the Great Dionysia

Defining the Great Dionysia

The Great Dionysia, celebrated in the Greek month of Elaphebolion, was

seen by all Athenians as an important religious festival. It became a

vital celebration in the Athenian calendar and gained international

status; many ‘foreign aliens’ travelled from other Attic states to

witness the performances. Athenians saw it as a religious festival

with rituals that needed to be followed, however, prominent

politicians were able to use this to their advantage. Some ceremonies

suggest a projection of imperial wealth and yet the Athenians still

thought of it as religious significance.

Every year the Athenian spent approximately five days celebrating the

deity Dionysus. He being the god presiding over altered states the

festival was quite fitting. Philochorus wrote; ‘Throughout the whole

performance wine was poured for them…As the chorus entered they filled

their cups to drink and when the play was over while the chorus were

leaving they filled up again.[1]’ The drinking of the wine is seen as

a ritual at the festival and it is unknown whether the wine was free

or bought by the citizens; Philochorus implies in the previous extract

that it was free-flowing for all. Many feasts and drinking parties,

Kosmos, were thrown during the festival in Dionysus’ name, giving the

festival a strong religious overtone.

Another ritual performed by the citizens was the phallus procession.

Little detail is known about the pre-play ceremonies however the

parade of a phallus is believed to be derived from ‘a characteristic

myth of resistance to the advent of Dionysia.[2]’ This myth tells of

how the Athenians spurned Peg...

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... [9] H. W. Parke, ‘Festivals of the Athenians,’ Thames and Hudson 1977

– page 127

[10] Isokrates, ‘De Pace 82’, Loeb ed. trans. G. Norman [Extract taken

from Simon Goldhill, ‘The Great Dionysia and Civic Ideology,’ Journal

of Hellenic Studies 107 (1987)]

[11] H. W. Parke, ‘Festivals of the Athenians,’ Thames and Hudson 1977

– page 133

[12] Simon Goldhill, ‘The Great Dionysia and Civic Ideology,’ Journal

of Hellenic Studies 107 (1987) [reprinted in J. Winkler and F. I.

Zeitlin (eds.), ‘Nothing to Do with Dionysos? Athenian Drama in its

Social Context,’ Princeton 1990]

[13] Simon Goldhill, ‘The Great Dionysia and Civic Ideology,’ Journal

of Hellenic Studies 107 (1987) [reprinted in J. Winkler and F. I.

Zeitlin (eds.), ‘Nothing to Do with Dionysos? Athenian Drama in its

Social Context,’ Princeton 1990]