greek theatre research task

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

Theater in ancient greece.

Terracotta amphoriskos (flask) in the form of a bird-man

Terracotta lekythos (oil flask)

Attributed to the Painter of the Yale Lekythos

Terracotta calyx-krater (mixing bowl)

Attributed to the Konnakis Group

Two terracotta roundels with theatrical masks

Attributed to the Dolon Painter

Colette Hemingway Independent Scholar

October 2004

Our interest in the theater connects us intimately with the ancient Greeks and Romans. Nearly every Greek and Roman city of note had an open-air theater, the seats arranged in tiers with a lovely view of the surrounding landscape. Here the Greeks sat and watched the plays first of Aeschylus, Sophokles, Euripides, and Aristophanes, and of Menander and the later playwrights.

The Greek theater consisted essentially of the orchestra, the flat dancing floor of the chorus, and the theatron, the actual structure of the theater building. Since theaters in antiquity were frequently modified and rebuilt, the surviving remains offer little clear evidence of the nature of the theatrical space available to the Classical dramatists in the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. There is no physical evidence for a circular orchestra earlier than that of the great theater at Epidauros dated to around 330 B.C. Most likely, the audience in fifth-century B.C. Athens was seated close to the stage in a rectilinear arrangement, such as appears at the well-preserved theater at Thorikos in Attica. During this early period in Greek drama, the stage and most probably the skene (stage building) were made of wood. Vase paintings depicting Greek comedy from the late fifth and early fourth centuries B.C. suggest that the stage stood about a meter high with a flight of steps in the center. The actors entered from either side and from a central door in the skene, which also housed the ekkyklema, a wheeled platform with sets of scenes. A mechane, or crane, located at the right end of the stage, was used to hoist gods and heroes through the air onto the stage. Greek dramatists surely made the most of the extreme contrasts between the gods up high and the actors on stage, and between the dark interior of the stage building and the bright daylight.

Little is known about the origins of Greek tragedy before Aeschylus (ca. 525-ca. 455 B.C.), the most innovative of the Greek dramatists. His earliest surviving work is Persians , which was produced in 472 B.C. The roots of Greek tragedy, however, most likely are embedded in the Athenian spring festival of Dionysos Eleuthereios, which included processions, sacrifices in the theater, parades, and competitions between tragedians. Of the few surviving Greek tragedies, all but Aeschylus’ Persians draw from heroic myths. The protagonist and the chorus portrayed the heroes who were the object of cult in Attica in the fifth century B.C. Often, the dialogue between the actor and chorus served a didactic function, linking it as a form of public discourse with debates in the assembly. To this day, drama in all its forms still functions as a powerful medium of communication of ideas.

Unlike the Greek tragedy, the comic performances produced in Athens during the fifth century B.C., the so-called Old Comedy, ridiculed mythology and prominent members of Athenian society. There seems to have been no limit to speech or action in the comic exploitation of sex and other bodily functions. Terracotta figurines and vase paintings dated around and after the time of Aristophanes (450–ca. 387 B.C.) show comic actors wearing grotesque masks and tights with padding on the rump and belly, as well as a leather phallus.

In the second half of the fourth century B.C., the so-called New Comedy of Menander (343–291 B.C.) and his contemporaries gave fresh interpretations to familiar material. In many ways comedy became simpler and tamer, with very little obscenity. The grotesque padding and phallus of Old Comedy were abandoned in favor of more naturalistic costumes that reflected the playwrights’ new style. Subtle differentiation of masks worn by the actors paralleled the finer delineation of character in the texts of New Comedy, which dealt with private and family life, social tensions, and the triumph of love in a variety of contexts.

Hemingway, Colette. “Theater in Ancient Greece.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/thtr/hd_thtr.htm (October 2004)

Further Reading

Greece and Rome . Introduction by Joan Mertens. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987. See on MetPublications

Bieber, Margarete. The History of the Greek and Roman Theater . 2d ed., rev. and enl. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1961.

Bothmer, Dietrich von. Greek Vase Painting: An Introduction . MMA Bulletin 31. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972. See on MetPublications

Green, J. R. Theatre in Ancient Greek Society . London: Routledge, 1994.

Green, J. R., and Eric Handley. Images of the Greek Theatre . London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1995.

Hornblower, Simon, and Antony Spawforth, eds. The Oxford Classical Dictionary . 3d ed., rev. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Trendall, A. D. Phlyax Vases . 2d ed., rev. and enl. London: University of London, Institute of Classical Studies, 1967.

Trendall, A. D., and T. B. L. Webster. Illustrations of Greek Drama . London: Phaidon, 1971.

Additional Essays by Colette Hemingway

• Hemingway, Colette. “ Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition .” (April 2007)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Greek Hydriai (Water Jars) and Their Artistic Decoration .” (July 2007)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Hellenistic Jewelry .” (April 2007)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Intellectual Pursuits of the Hellenistic Age .” (April 2007)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Mycenaean Civilization .” (October 2003)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Retrospective Styles in Greek and Roman Sculpture .” (July 2007)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Africans in Ancient Greek Art .” (January 2008)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Ancient Greek Colonization and Trade and their Influence on Greek Art .” (July 2007)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Architecture in Ancient Greece .” (October 2003)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Greek Gods and Religious Practices .” (October 2003)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ The Art of Classical Greece (ca. 480–323 B.C.) .” (January 2008)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ The Labors of Herakles .” (January 2008)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Athletics in Ancient Greece .” (October 2002)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ The Rise of Macedon and the Conquests of Alexander the Great .” (October 2004)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ The Technique of Bronze Statuary in Ancient Greece .” (October 2003)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Women in Classical Greece .” (October 2004)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Cyprus—Island of Copper .” (October 2004)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Music in Ancient Greece .” (October 2001)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) and Art .” (October 2004)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Etruscan Art .” (October 2004)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Prehistoric Cypriot Art and Culture .” (October 2004)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Sardis .” (October 2004)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Medicine in Classical Antiquity .” (October 2004)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Southern Italian Vase Painting .” (October 2004)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ The Kithara in Ancient Greece .” (October 2002)
• Hemingway, Colette. “ Minoan Crete .” (October 2002)

Related Essays

• The Art of Classical Greece (ca. 480–323 B.C.)
• Athenian Vase Painting: Black- and Red-Figure Techniques
• Greek Gods and Religious Practices
• Ancient Greek Colonization and Trade and their Influence on Greek Art
• Ancient Greek Dress
• Architecture in Ancient Greece
• Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition
• Classical Antiquity in the Middle Ages
• Commedia dell’arte
• Death, Burial, and the Afterlife in Ancient Greece
• Funerary Vases in Southern Italy and Sicily
• Greek Terracotta Figurines with Articulated Limbs
• Hellenistic and Roman Cyprus
• Mystery Cults in the Greek and Roman World
• Neoclassicism
• The Papacy during the Renaissance
• Roman Copies of Greek Statues
• Southern Italian Vase Painting
• The Symposium in Ancient Greece
• Theater and Amphitheater in the Roman World

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Greek tragedy: setting the stage today

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With the curtains just closed on the 40th Cambridge Greek Play since the 1880s, Greek classicist Simon Goldhill reflects on how this creative genre still speaks to a modern audience.

His detailed analyses of so many past productions are rare and exciting. His unfolding of the Greek texts and the many different translations is both instructive and exhilarating. Vanessa Redgrave CBE,actress

Every three years since 1882, University of Cambridge students have brought ancient Greek tragedies to life again through their performances in the Cambridge Greek Play, a showcase of theatrical and academic expertise that is spoken entirely in the original language.

The first play – Sophocles’ Ajax – was, as the publicity of 1882 boasted, the first full performance of a Greek tragedy in ancient Greek in the modern world, and the show roused extraordinary interest. It was reviewed in all the national newspapers, and special trains had to be put on from London to bring the fashionistas up to Cambridge to see the event of the season. England was still in the grip of an intense ‘philhellenic’ love of all things Greek; classics took up 80% of the curriculum at the best schools and universities; the neo-classical paintings of Lawrence Alma-Tadema and Frederic Leighton drew crowds of thousands; Greek love was the ‘dirty secret’ of the fin-de-siècle decadents. For Victorian England, the Cambridge Greek Play represented a rare chance to see an art form that featured vividly in the cultural imagination.

Archaeological accuracy really mattered to the Victorian audience – the play had to embody the best scholarship, the most recent research. In 1882, this was ensured by the involvement of the world-famous Greek scholar Sir Richard Claverhouse Jebb, Regius Professor of Greek. This connection with research continues today, with a thriving academic interest that both feeds into and benefits from the performances. What can the surviving plays tell us of ancient Athenian society? How can we know how to pronounce a long-dead language? How can the ancient world inform our understanding of the modern world? What is at stake when Greek tragedy is staged in the theatre today, and how are its most difficult problems to be faced? It is this final question that has been of particular interest to me – how audiences might see ancient Greek theatre accurately realised on stage again, 2500 years after it was born in Athens.

Resurging interest

That first astounding show in 1882 heralded one of the most surprising developments in modern western theatre. Since the turn of the 20th century, ancient Greek plays have become part of the repertoire of all modern theatres and, since the 1970s, there has been the most remarkable explosion of performances of Greek tragedy across the world – not just in Europe and the USA, but also in Japan and Africa and Russia. In London, Paris and New York, almost no year goes by without a revival of one of these classics. In 2001 alone, there were 17 productions of Aeschylus’ great trilogy the Oresteia in the USA, which is more than there were in the whole world in the first 65 years of the 19th century. In London, three separate productions of Sophocles’ Electra were staged over a few months. When theatre director Peter Sellars wanted to stage his anguish at the Gulf War in the early 1990s, he turned to Aeschylus’ Persians – in California, Edinburgh and Austria. There is no sign of this growth slowing, on campus or in the professional theatre. Greek tragedy seems once again to speak urgently and authoritatively to a modern audience.

A voice in modern times

Why does Greek tragedy speak to us today? As with the 5th century BC, our age is an era of great confidence in the progress of science and knowledge: Greek tragedy ruthlessly exposes the pretensions in human claims to control and certainty. As with the 5th century BC, our age is obsessed with the tension between the brutal realities of war and the rhetoric of politicians: Greek tragedy anatomises this tension with painful insight. Moreover, Greek tragedy is obsessed with conflict between the genders, between public and private duty, between self-control and a sense of helplessness in the face of the world’s violence: all this too finds a powerful echo with modern audiences.

Staging Greek tragedies

It is far from clear how these great masterpieces of theatre should be translated from the page into the theatre. When the genre first flourished between 500 and 300 BC, the convention was for actors to wear specially crafted masks. All the actors were male, with a limit on how many could appear on stage at one time, and the chorus had to be composed of Athenian citizens.

How can the old conventions of the chorus work without looking like a Hollywood musical? Can masks evoke anything but bad clowns for today’s theatre? Is Greek tragedy destined to be crushed by its own formality, and end up as no more than men in black yelling portentous clichés at each other?

The book How to Stage Greek Tragedy Today stems first from my research into ancient theatre and the history of theatre performance: I have been engaged for many years with exploring the political and social impact of theatre in ancient Athens, as well as with how these old plays became so important in the cultural life of Europe, especially around the turn of the

20th century. But my concerns in this book also come from a more direct set of experiences. I have been deeply moved by some great performances in the theatre; I have also been annoyed, bored, outraged by others. I wanted to explore why so many productions failed, and why the truly great productions were great.

I also had the hands-on experience of producing the Cambridge Greek Play over 12 years, with two outstanding directors – Dr Jane Montgomery, who was the Leventis Visiting Fellow in Greek Drama, and Annie Castledine, from the Complicite Theatre Company and who has also directed at the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Seeing how professional theatre is made at the ‘down-and-dirty’ level is not something most academics are privileged to do, and anyone who writes about theatre can learn a lot from such an experience. But the immediate stimulus to write my book was when I was asked to provide some suggestions for Vanessa Redgrave to read about tragedy – she was rehearsing a production of Hecuba at the time. I found to my chagrin (and to the detriment of my dignity as a Cambridge professor) that there was nothing I could really recommend to an intelligent modern actor or director to help them when daunted by the task of performing Greek tragedy. So I sat down and wrote what I hope will answer that need.

I examine the six most pressing questions any company faces with the task of staging a Greek tragedy: the theatre space, the chorus, the actor’s role, the relationship between tragedy and politics, the translation, and the representation of the gods and heroes.

I look at what we can learn from the ancient world about these issues, how the most successful modern productions have dealt with them, and how a company can negotiate a way through some of the most difficult problems these texts provide.

My hope is that actors and directors embarking on the journey of staging a Greek play might have some guidance. I hope too that, for the reader wishing to know more about these truly remarkable plays and their extraordinary re-emergence on modern stages, this might inspire them to consider what makes Greek tragedy so exciting and so relevant a genre today.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence . If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.

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Olga Tribulato as Tiresias and Marta Zlatic as Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus the King, 2004

Credit: Cambridge Greek Play Committee

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An Overview of Ancient Greek Theater: A Glimpse into the Past

From Shakespeare to Broadway, modern theatrical performances owe much of their success to the innovation of Ancient Greek drama.

From the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides to the comedies of Aristophanes, Ancient Greek theater was part of a culture of performance among the Greek city-states. Performance, extending to military excellence, public speaking, and theatrical performances, was an integral part of life for the average Athenian citizen. Theater, deriving from the Greek word “ theomai ” (to see), was not just an important past-time in the ancient world; it also was a form of art that greatly influenced modern theater.

The Genres of Ancient Greek Theater

Greek theater was primarily divided into two distinct genres that complimented one another: tragedy and comedy. Greek tragedy , or tragoidia , is the genre to which most surviving Greek theater works belong. This genre centers around human suffering, usually involving a figure falling from prosperity into despair. The structure of tragedies is relatively consistent among the popular Athenian playwrights, beginning with a prologue (opening speech) that transitions into a parodos (the entry of characters). The parodos is followed by a series of episodes (dialogue between characters), which ends with an exodus (the exit of characters). Throughout the dialogue exchanges, the chorus interjects with a series of songs that comment on the events of the play.

The cast of Greek tragedies was relatively small. Four actors rotated between roles, so there could never be more than four people on stage at one time (not including the chorus, which comprised at least 12 people). Instead of makeup or costumes, actors would wear different masks that represent their roles (see Theatre Mask image above). These “smiling” masks, which, in reality, had openings around the mouth for the actor to sing, have now become popular symbols of theater.

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Out of the surviving completed tragedies , all were written by three playwrights: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Some popular examples that have even been part of high school English curriculums include Antigone , Oedipus Rex (or Oedipus the King), and Medea . One similarity between almost all surviving tragedies is that they center on human suffering in a mythological context. For example, the image above is of a terracotta vase that possibly depicts a scene from Seven Against Thebes , a tragedy by Aeschylus that is based on seven mythological warriors.

Comedy (from komoidia ) began its development around a century after the tragedy, but that does not negate the lasting impact this genre had on ancient theater. Athenian comedy shared many traits with modern performances in the same genre, such as crude humor and political/societal commentary. Because of the range of comedy across different playwrights, this genre is also divided into three eras: Old Comedy, Middle Comedy, and New Comedy.

Our modern understanding of Old Comedy is entirely characterized by the plays of Aristophanes from the 5th century BCE as the works of other playwrights from this era have not been preserved. Old Comedy is known for its satirical accounts of public figures and events that often criticize the social scene of 5th-century Athens. The three eras of comedy come and go quickly, as the transition to Middle Comedy happens at the end of Aristophanes’ life. Like Old Comedy, Middle Comedy focuses on social commentary, but playwrights’ criticisms became more general and societal rather than personal. Finally, the third phase of comedy is New Comedy, which rose to prominence in the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE. New Comedy parodies everyday life and domestic events rather than societal structures and politicians, essentially becoming humor for the average person.

Playwrights 

Although hundreds, or even thousands, of playwrights produced works in Athens, very few of these plays have survived for modern audiences to enjoy. The most famous tragedies and comedies that are still read and performed almost all originate from the same four authors: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides for tragedy and Aristophanes for comedy. Despite the small sample size of works that have been preserved, these playwrights significantly impacted both the ancient and modern worlds with their writing.

Aeschylus , the first of the three tragedians with surviving works, was born around 525/4 BCE at Eleusis (the polis where the Eleusinian Mysteries took place). Like many Greek men, Aeschylus served in the military and fought in the Greco-Persian Wars . His experience in the military possibly served as inspiration for the Persians , which was a tragedy centered on the aftermath of the Battle of Salamis . Out of the three tragedians, Aeschylus is viewed as being the most traditional, both by modern scholars and figures in the ancient world like Aristotle . His surviving works are the basis for many studies on the structure of tragedy, and he popularized certain elements of the genre (such as adding another actor to increase artistic freedom).

Some of Aeschylus’ notable works include the Oresteia trilogy ( Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides ) and Prometheus Bound. 

Sophocles , born around the second half of Aeschylus’ life in 497/6 BCE in Colonus, was the most popular of the tragic playwrights in Athens. During the City Dionysia, Sophocles won or placed high a majority of the years that he entered, surpassing both Aeschylus and Euripides. He lived through both the Greco-Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War , and he took an active role in Athenian politics. Sophocles is often credited for major changes to the structure of tragic plays, such as adding a third actor (which becomes the standard in Euripides’ era).

Sophocles has seven surviving works that include Ajax, Electra, Antigone, Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Women of Trachis, and Philoctetes. 

The final tragedian with surviving extant works is Euripides , the youngest of the three. He was born in Athens in 484 BCE, and the majority of the surviving tragic plays belong to him. Although he has gained popularity from modern readers of his works, Euripides was not as well-received in his lifetime. He only won a handful of competitions at the City Dionysia, and his plays were controversial as they represented ideas of a new generation that differed from Aeschylus and Sophocles (or at least Aristotle argued this angle). Euripides lived through the aftermath of the Greco-Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian Wars, and the inner turmoil within Athens, so his works were shaped by the time he lived in.

Euripides has many popular plays that are still reperformed and discussed, including Medea, Electra, Bacchae, Hippolytus, and Alcestis. 

Aristophanes

Aristophanes , born in Athens in 446 BCE, is one of the few Greek comedy writers with surviving works. Although comedy did not receive the same cultural attention as tragedy, Aristophanes was a very well-known playwright in the 5th century, although not always for positive reasons. His plays relied on criticizing prominent figures in Athenian society who were often in the audience for these performances, meaning that he may have made a few enemies during his lifetime. Aristophanes’ works are used as a basis when discussing genre elements of Old Comedy, but some of his later works are also classified as Middle Comedy, making him one of the most influential ancient comic writers that is still analyzed by modern scholars.

Aristophanes has eleven surviving works , with a few examples being The Clouds, The Birds, The Frogs, Lysistrata, and The Women at the Thesmophoria Festival .

Festivals of Ancient Greek Theater

City dionysia .

The City Dionysia was a pan-Athenian festival held each year in March in honor of the god Dionysus . The festival began with a procession to the Theatre of Dionysus on the south slope of the Acropolis , and the individuals in the procession carried a statue of Dionysus. The core of the festival centered around dramatic performances to honor the god associated with theater and revelry, and this event was one of the largest gatherings in Athens after the Panathenaea (a festival in honor of Athena). There is no record of the first City Dionysia, but it is known that only tragedy was performed at the festival until the early 5th century BCE when comedies began to appear in the awards list.

As a polis-wide event, the City Dionysia required months of preparation and large amounts of funding. It was common for prominent politicians in Athens to sponsor the festival or specific playwrights, sometimes giving them a special place in the festivities but also improving their reputation throughout the city. Politicians that sponsored playwrights would pay the actors and production fees, but the playwright sometimes had to cater their writing to their sponsor. For example, Aeschylus’ Persians was sponsored by Pericles, a politician who favored promoting the win at Salamis over other battles in the Greco-Persian Wars, thereby possibly influencing Aeschylus’ decision to base the tragedy around the Battle of Salamis.

In addition to the preparation required from sponsors and playwrights, actors and chorus members would train prior to performances each year. Acting was not a full-time occupation in Athens, but actors would be paid for their performances at the City Dionysia. On the other hand, the chorus was composed entirely of average citizens. The chorus typically consisted of 10-12 people, but this number could be much larger depending on the play. They were responsible for singing and dancing between dialogue exchanges, and this role was unpaid. Most male Athenian citizens would have been part of a chorus at least once in their life and often multiple times. Like most events in Ancient Greece, women were not permitted to perform in or even possibly attend the City Dionysia.

Although the City Dionysia was the largest dramatic festival, there were other minor Athenian festivals held throughout the year. The most notable of these festivals was the Lenaia, an annual Athenian dramatic festival that took place each January. The Lenaia also honored Dionysus, but it was smaller in scale and had fewer performances than the City Dionysia. Originally, the Lenaia was a festival that only had works from comic playwrights, and it was where much of Aristophanes’ work was performed. However, it eventually introduced tragic performances in the late 5th century BCE. Women were more likely to have had a role in the Lenaia than the City Dionysia, but much is still unknown about their attendance and participation.

The Art of Tragedy: Ancient Greek Theater

By Laken Bonatch MA History and MS Archives Management (in-progress), BA History & Classics, Laken has a BA in History and Classics from Bryn Mawr College and is currently pursuing an MA in History and MS in Library Science with a concentration on Archives Management from Simmons University. She is working toward becoming an archivist in order to help others in their research while preserving history at the same time, and her academic interests include medieval and ancient history.

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Year 12 Drama Greek Theatre: Research Ready

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Redlands College subscribes to a number of wonderful online databases .  Specialised databases can access a far greater amount of information than just using Google and other search engines alone and are of excellent quality.  The College 'access to databases' page is password protected so please ensure you know and save the password.  Please contact the library if you need assistance ([email protected]).  Academic OneFile, Gale in Context (high school), PubMed Central and Britannica (high school) are the four recommended school databases (at the year 11 level).  State Library of QLD databases should also be utilised.

Step 4: Understand common URL domains and how to evaluate resources

Although Google is often seen as a quick method of locating information it often brings back results in the thousands and includes sites that are not reliable or authoritative.  Sifting through all these results can be very time consuming.  Checking the site or domain URL can give you a quick idea of what type of site it is (see table above).

If searching for information on a .com, .org or .net website, be sure to use the following C.R.A.A.P evaluation criteria .  

Is the website Current ? Most websites will have when they were last updated at the bottom of the page.

Is the website Relevant ? Does it address your topic effectively? Is it age-appropriate for your research? Is the language appropriate? 

Is the website  Authoritative ? Who is the author? Are there advertisements suggesting it is a commercial site and therefore not a reliable source of information for research purposes?

Is the website   Accurate ? Is it reliable, correct, biased, or is there grammatical errors?

What is the website's  Purpose ? Is it selling to you or informing you? What are the author's intentions?

CAN I USE WIKIPEDIA?   Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that is quick and easy to use.  Wikipedia can be a useful tool to initially  identify keywords and search terms.   References at the end of a Wikipedia page can be useful as they are primary sources.  However, Wikipedia is NOT a recommended source of information for research purposes and should never appear in your reference list .  Anyone can create and edit content within Wikipedia so it is difficult to evaluate quality. 

Step 5: Learn how to do an advanced search on Google (laptop or desktop)

Did you know you can do an Advanced Search on Google?  

Here's how to do it on a laptop or desktop - when using Google type in your key word or search terms and hit enter (e.g: electromagnetic radiation).  Next, go to the settings drop down menu and select  Advanced Search  (see image above).  This will allow you to limit your results by selecting the desired language, geographical region and site or domain type (see image below).  For example, you may only want to look at educational websites with the domain .edu (.edu and .gov sites are reliable sources of information).

This is the Advanced Google search screen.

Image: https://www.google.com.au/advanced_search?q=google&safe=strict&rlz=1C1GCEB_enAU813AU813&hl=en

RECOMMENDED: Join the State Library of Queensland (SLQ)

RECOMMENDED: Use Thinkdrive to help you start and complete your assessment

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• Last Updated: May 16, 2023 10:41 AM
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Characteristics of Greek Theater – Lesson Plan

Students explore Greek drama, research Greek playwrights and plays, and present scenes from Greek plays.

• Length: 1-5 class periods
• Grades: 7-12

Concepts/Objectives:

• Students will identify characteristics of Greek theater.
• Students will compare and contrast Greek theater and modern theater.
• Students will apply knowledge of performance elements and Greek theater to a Greek play.

Resources Used: Greek Theater: Oedipus Found On: Aspects of Drama Part 3: Cultures, Periods, and Styles

Introduction to Greek Drama Found On: About Drama

Vocabulary, Materials, and Handouts

Vocabulary: character, comedy, isolations, literary elements, performance elements, purposes, reader’s theater, storytelling, technical elements, tragedy, tragic hero

Materials: TV/VCR or DVD player, overhead/chart paper, class set of literature books containing the script of a Greek play, “Introduction to Greek Theater” guide from the “Periods and Styles” section of the Drama Arts Toolkit binder, computers with Internet access

• Greek Theater Discussion Questions (with Answers)
• Oedipus the King Discussion Questions
• Multiple-Choice Questions
• Multiple-Choice Questions Answer Key

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Instructional Strategies and Activities

Oedipus the King Background Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus the King tells the story of the young, inexperienced king Oedipus. Learning that King Laius, his predecessor, had been murdered, Oedipus vows to avenge the king in order to bring prosperity back to his kingdom. He foolishly condemns the murderer before learning who that is and the truth behind the murder. The scene presented in reader’s theater format occurs early in the play, just after the prologue and the entrance of the chorus. Oedipus argues with the blind sage Teiresias about Laius’ murder. In his rage, Oedipus accuses his friend Creon of the crime. Because his pride overshadows any willingness to listen to Teiresias and heed his warnings concerning the truth of past events, Oedipus fails to see his own guilt.

Setting the Context Ask students to write down in their notes what they know about Greek theater. Give them a few minutes to collect their thoughts and then have them share what they wrote. You might want to write their responses on the overhead or on chart paper.

Explain that the video segment you are about to show is an introduction to Greek drama. Identify what you want the students to watch for, using the Greek Theater Discussion Questions handout as your guide. You may want to write the discussion questions on the overhead/chart paper or create a graphic organizer to hand out for note taking. If you have the Drama Arts Toolkit binder, distribute the parts of the Greek Stage handout (from “Introduction to Greek Theater” in “Periods and Styles”); if not, you may want to pause during this section of the video so students can draw and label the parts of the stage.

Watch the segment. Discuss, using the Greek Theater Discussion Questions handout. Have students compare what they learned to what they knew before they watched.

Going In-Depth

Introduce the scene from Sophocles’ great tragedy Oedipus the King. Explain the reader’s theater format: In reader’s theater, the play is not done in costume or on a set (generally in limbo with a black curtain or with a minimal set). The actors neither memorize their lines nor move about the stage. Instead, the actors, usually dressed in everyday clothes, read from the script and interpret their characters with the aim of stimulating the audience to imaginatively experience the play. The introduction to the scene in the video segment explains who the characters are (Oedipus and Teiresias) and gives the audience a sense of what’s happening. You may need to show the scene two or more times in order for students to grasp the plot and fully understand the situation.

Use the Oedipus the King Discussion Questions as your guide for the follow-up discussion. Again, you may want to write the questions on the overhead/chart paper or create a graphic organizer for note taking.

Using information from the “Introduction to Greek Theater” guide, have students contrast Greek theater to contemporary theater. Discuss how the reader’s theater production of the scene from Oedipus the King is in keeping with the characteristics of Greek theater. Ask: What characteristics of Greek theater are missing?

Follow-Up Activities

Depending on the level and sophistication of your students (Greek plays often have adult themes), as well as the time you’ve allotted to this lesson, select one or both of the following activities and/or conclude with the assessment activities.

• As they listen to the scene, ask students to imagine how it would have looked to the Greeks as they watched this play more than 2,000 years ago. Discuss: If you were producing Oedipus today and wanted it to appear authentic, how would your production differ from the reader’s theater production? Extend by having students create visual representations, such as a poster for their production or drawings of the stage or costumes.
• Put a list of Greek playwright/play pairs on the overhead/chart paper (e.g., Aeschylus/ Prometheus Bound, Aeschylus/ Agamemnon, Sophocles/ Antigone, Sophocles/ Oedipus the King, Euripides/ Medea, Euripides/ The Trojan Women, Aristophanes/ The Frogs ). Assign students to small groups and have each group research one of the playwright/play pairs, making sure every group has a different pair. Include Oedipus so that students can get a sense of the complete play. Have them report back to the class background information about the playwright, the type of play they’ve researched (tragedy/comedy), and essential information about the play (when it was written/performed, themes, characters, etc.). Full texts of these plays can be found on the Internet (see Support/Connections/Resources).

In their small groups, have students select a scene from the play they’ve researched. It might be helpful to discuss in advance some things to think about when selecting a scene (e.g., number of characters, what happens, sense of completeness, how the scene relates to the play as a whole, etc.). Using the reader’s theater format, have students prepare and present a staged reading to the class of the scene. As a part of their presentation, they should include an introduction to the scene.

Extensions for Diverse Learners

• Provide graphic organizers (create your own using the Greek Theater discussion questions).
• Provide a pre-recorded tape of lecture information.
• Write important information on overhead or chart paper.
• Identify the most important concepts or vocabulary words.
• Have students write summaries of what they learned, using information from the overhead or chart paper as well as their own notes and/or graphic organizers.
• Have students select and produce a scene or scenes from a classic Greek tragedy or comedy. Ask them to provide an introduction to the scene that puts it into context.
• Create a three-dimensional replica or a drawing of a Greek theater.
• Adapt a modern story into ancient Greek theatrical style.
• Create character masks for a dramatic production.

Writing To Communicate

• Literary: Adapt a Greek myth or an original myth into a script.
• Transactive: Write a feature article about a Greek playwright you have researched or a play you have read, showing why the playwright or play still has meaning for contemporary audiences.

Applications Across the Curriculum

Language Arts

• Read a play written by Sophocles, Euripides, or Aeschylus.
• Research the scientific achievements of the Bronze and/or the Athenian Age.

Social Studies

• Compare and contrast the Greek city/state political system to the American democratic system.

Practical Living

• Participate in Olympic sports or sponsor your own Olympics. Provide support or assistance for a Special Olympics event.

Vocational Studies

• Interview a person with a degree in philosophy and ask him or her to share knowledge about Aristotle (or an overview of Greek philosophy) with you.

Open Response Assessment

Prompt: As a director, you are considering directing a Greek play, but you are having difficulty deciding whether to adhere to the style in which Greeks would have produced/performed it or whether to modernize it and use realistic scenery and costumes.

Directions:

• Identify the style you have decided to use (classic Greek or modernized version).
• Compare and contrast the two styles and justify why you think it is important to produce the play in the style you have chosen.

Open Response Scoring Guide

Performance Assessment

Performance Event: Your school is holding a “Greek Week,” and you are asked to create a short performance piece in keeping with the week’s theme.

• Choose a monologue from The Actor’s Book of Classical Monologues that you would like to perform. You will also need to read the entire play in order to understand the character’s motivation and who he/she is before you begin working on your characterization.
• Dressed in period costume and mask, perform your monologue for an audience.

Performance Scoring Guide

Support - Connections - Resources - Author

• Barranger, Milly S. Theatre Past and Present. Wadsworth Publishing, 1984.
• Gillespie, Patti and Kenneth M. Cameron. Western Theatre—Revolution and Revival. MacMillan, 1984.
• Rudnicki, Stefan, ed. Actor’s Book of Classical Monologues. Penguin Books, 1999.
• Schanker, Harry H. and Katherine Anne Ommanney. The Stage and the School. Glencoe McGraw Hill, 2004.

Author: Sherry Tucker

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{{item.title}}, my essentials, ask for help, contact edconnect, directory a to z, how to guides, creative arts k–12, greek theatre – history and context.

Students develop skills in analysing the creditability of web sources and using the Internet to research a given topic.

Students use Socrative to compete against their peers in a space race showing their research skills, understanding of the history and socio-cultural context of ancient Greek theatre and the conventions of ancient Greek theatre.

• 4.3.1 identifies and describes elements of drama, dramatic forms, performance styles, techniques and conventions in drama.
• 4.3.2 recognises the function of drama and theatre in reflecting social and cultural aspects of human experience.
• 5.3.1 responds to, reflects on and evaluates elements of drama, dramatic forms, performance styles, dramatic techniques and theatrical conventions.
• 5.3.2 analyses the contemporary and historical contexts of drama.

Driving question

• What is the purpose of theatre in Ancient Greece?
• What are the conventions of ancient Greek theatre?
• How is theatre in ancient Greece similar and different to contemporary theatre?

Through interactive digital technology, students gain skills in searching for credible sources online, research skills and develop an understanding of the socio-cultural context of ancient Greek theatre.

Through research they explore how Greek theatre provided the foundation of contemporary theatre. Students study the development of Greek theatre from ritual ceremonies in celebration of the God Dionysus to ancient Greek theatre, including: masked performance, song and dance.

Cross-curriculum content and key competencies

Information and communication technology

Embedded elements of drama

• dramatic meaning.

All activities require students to demonstrate their learning and are all assessment for learning activities.

Teaching and learning activities

The following learning experiences are structured to provide students with a practical and theoretical understanding of Greek Theatre.

Analysing web sources

Students will:

• review the analysing web sources resource (PDF 3.09 MB)
• discuss why assessing the creditability of an online source is important?

Space race – Teacher instructions

Students are divided into research teams between 2-4 students. They will use the internet to research the questions being presented using the skills/knowledge gained in the previous task to access reliable sources.

Students will then respond to questions on Socrative.

Teachers instruction

• Go to www.socrative.com .
• Create a teacher account with Socrative.com or log-in.

• Search for the quiz with the number 31827109.
• In the quizzes section the 'Greek Theatre History KASCA' quiz should appear.

• Select Launch , then Space Race .

• Select the quiz you would like to use.

• Decide whether you would like questions shuffled and click Start .

• You will now be provided with the space race dashboard that allows you to track students' progress. Provide students with the room number located in the top centre of your screen and allow them to begin.

• When all students have completed, select Finish .
• As a class, review student responses, highlighting the correct answers.

Space race – Student instructions

Students instructions.

• Go to www.socrative.com
• Select student login .
• Enter the room number provided by the teacher.
• Respond to questions as they arise, ensuring they record answers in their logbooks as they go.

Differentiation

Students could:

• analyse a website using the information on the analysing web sources resource (PDF 3.09 MB)
• write a report using information from the website above
• continue to research ancient Greek theatre and create their own quiz questions and answers.

Life skills

• LS 3.1 experiences a variety of drama or theatre performances.
• The British Museum - Greek Theatre
• Ancient Greece - University Press

Feedback is formative during the lessons.

This sequence and accompanying worksheets are available as word documents below.

• Analysing web sources resource (PDF 3243 KB)
• Greek theatre history lesson sequence (DOCX 1088 KB)
• Analysing web sources handout (DOCX 50 KB)

Reference list and resource links

• Account for www.socrative.com
• Online Quiz: Ancient Greek Theatre Quiz

Please note:

Syllabus outcomes and content descriptors from Drama 7–10 Syllabus (2003) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2017.

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Greek Theatre Research Task

Tuesday 15 november 2016, lemony snicket, a series of unfortunate events..

Tuesday 8 November 2016

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The reconstruction project lasted from l July 2005 to 28 October 2011. As a result of this reconstruction, many lost features of the historic building were reinstated and, at the same time, it has joined the ranks of most technically equipped theatre buildings in the world.

The reconstruction and refurbishment of the Bolshoi Theatre Historic stage (2 July 2015 -  was a colossal, world-level project. The Theatre building has long been seen as one of Russia’s symbols. The Theatre’s rehabilitation, therefore, came under constant scrutiny from state authorities and public alike.

The story of the reconstruction and refurbishment of the Bolshoi Theatre building dates back to virtually the first years of its existence. At the time the present reconstruction began from 50 to 70 percent of the building, according to different estimates, was in a precarious condition. Various renovation schemes were suggested: from a superficial overhaul to total reconstruction of the existing building. The project which was eventually chosen and approved by Theatre Company, architects, public figures in the arts etc., envisaged informed restoration of the Theatre’s public spaces and a cardinal reconstruction of the stagehouse, plus the addition of new, underground space. As a protected monument, moreover, the building’s historical appearance had to be preserved.

The first years of the project were devoted to a scrupulous examination of the building itself, the scanning of its position in space, the condition of its walls and foundations. And only in the autumn of 2009, after numerous preliminary studies, was the huge and badly dilapidated Bolshoi Theatre building transferred from temporary supports to a permanent foundation and large-scale restoration work initiated in the Theatre itself. In the two years that followed, record volumes of work were achieved in the renovation and reconstruction of the Theatre. Over three and a half thousand specialists worked at the Theatre each day, of which numbers upwards of a thousand were restorers. And another thousand labored in restoration workshops outside the Theatre.

In addition to the restoration of the Theatre’s historical appearance both inside and out, the project designers were also faced by the problem of providing it with extra working areas. This was successfully solved by the creation of additional underground space.

An equally important task was the necessity of combining meticulous restoration work in the Theatre’s public spaces with the installation of state-of-the-art technological equipment in the Theatre’s stagehouse and new spaces.

The Bolshoi has to a large extent reacquired its authentic historical appearance, lost during the years of Soviet power. The auditorium and part of its suite of halls now look as they were originally conceived by Bolshoi Theatre architect Alberto Cavos. While the former imperial foyer halls have been given back their 1895 decor, this was the year they were redecorated for Emperor Nicholas II’s coronation celebrations. Each reproduced or restored element of interior decoration was made the object of a special project for which separate documentation was collected based on numerous archival and on-site researches.

In 2010 the auditorium suite of halls were renovated: the Lobby, the Main or the White Foyer, the Choral, Exhibition, Round and Beethoven halls. Muscovites were able to admire the restored facades and the renovated symbol of the Bolshoi Theatre — the famous Apollo quadriga, created by the sculptor Peter Klodt.

The auditorium has regained its original beauty. And, just like the 19th century theatergoer, so each member of the public today will be dazzled by its extravagant and at the same time “light” décor. The bright crimson, scattered with gold, draping of the interiors of the boxes, the different on each level stucco arabesques, the Apollo and the Muses plafond — all this contributes to the auditorium’s breath-taking impact.

Special attention was paid to the restoration of the legendary acoustics. International experts did extensive research work and made sure all their technical recommendations were carried out to the letter.

State of the art machinery has been installed in the stagehouse. The Bolshoi Theatre Historic stage now consists of seven two-tier rising and descending platforms. These platforms can easily change their positions, thus the stage can become horizontal, raked or stepped. The stage and backstage area can be united which creates a stage space of incredible depth.

New upper stage equipment, remotely controlled by computer, makes it possible to derive maximum use from lighting, sound and visual effects. Cutting edge rigs have been installed for the deployment of lanterns, special effects apparatus and acoustics.

The orchestra pit has been provided with extra space under the forestage. This makes it one of the biggest orchestra pits in the world seating up to 130 musicians, which is necessary for the performance of such large-scale works as, for instance, Wagner operas.

The installation of state of the art stage equipment was a unique world-scale project. The reconstruction has doubled the Theatre’s total floor space. Thanks to the expansion of the Theatre’s existing underground spaces (under stagehouse) and to the construction of new underground space under Theatre Square, this has been achieved without any change to the Theatre’s external appearance.

Thus the Theatre has acquired badly needed new space, including an underground concert and rehearsal room, which has inherited its name from the Beethoven Hall, under the Theatre lobby. This hall is a multi-functional space which can be used in different ways. It consists of five main platforms: the central platform is the stage itself, two platforms to the right and left of it can be used either to increase the size of the stage or as audience space. The two remaining platforms form the main space of the auditorium. All of the platforms can be raised to foyer level to create a space for holding formal, receptions. Apart from this concert hall and its auxiliary premises, the rest of the underground space under Theatre Square accommodates a large number of technical, service and staff rooms.

The Bolshoi Theatre reconstruction project also included the renovation of the Khomyakov House, a protected architectural monument of the first half of the nineteenth century situated immediately behind the Bolshoi, which has been transformed into a service wing. Due to numerous 20th century reconstructions, the historical interiors of the Khomyakov House have been totally lost. While its main walls have been preserved, the interior layout has been redesigned to meet the Theatre’s present-day requirements. Thus the Khomaykov House, which is linked to the main Bolshoi Theatre building by an underground tunnel, is a key element in the gigantic Bolshoi Theatre complex.

The renovation of the country’s main stage was a landmark event in the lives of a large coordinated team of highest-level professionals. Participating in the project were uniquely qualified specialists whose great feat of labor will earn them the undying gratitude of present-day Bolshoi Theatre audiences.

The Bolshoi Theatre is a symbol of Russia for all time. It was awarded this honor due to the major contribution it made to the history of the Russian performing arts. This history is on-going and today Bolshoi Theatre artists continue to contribute to it many bright pages.

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Moscow, russian moskva, is the capital and most populated city of russia, situated in the westward part of the country., search for worksheets, download the moscow facts & worksheets.

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Moscow , Russian Moskva, is the capital and most populated city of Russia , situated in the westward part of the country. Moscow is not just the political capital city of Russia but also the industrial, cultural, scientific, and educational capital. For more than 600 years, Moscow also has been the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church.

See the fact file below for more information on the Moscow or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Moscow worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Description.

• The city area is about 30 km in diameter and the population reaches to almost 10 million people.
• Moscow was first mentioned in the chronicles of 1147, where it played an important role in Russian history.
• The people of Moscow are known as Muscovites.
• Moscow is famous for its architecture, especially its historical buildings such as Saint Basil’s Cathedral .
• Moscow is a city with the most money in Russia and the third biggest budget in the world.
• Moscow began as a medieval city and developed into what was known as the Grand Duchy of Moscow, an administrative region ruled by a prince.
• Moscow is where all Russia’s tensions and inequalities meet to coexist, producing a unique feeling of a city that looks European but feels somewhat Asian in its mood and intensity.
• In 1147 Moscow was called Moskov, which sounds closer to its current name. Moscow was derived from the Moskva river, on which the city is located. The Finno-Ugric tribes, who originally inhabited the territory, named the river Mustajoki, in English: Black River, which was presumably how the name of the city originated.
• Several theories were proposed on the origin of the name of the river however linguists cannot come to any agreement and those theories haven’t been proven yet.
• The first known reference to Moscow dates from 1147 as a meeting place of Yuri Dolgoruky and Sviatoslav Olgovich. Muscovites today consider Prince Yury Dolgoruky their city’s founding father, but it was only recorded that he dined with friends in the town.
• In 1156, led by Knjaz Yury Dolgoruky, the town was barricaded with a timber fence and a moat. In the course of the Mongol invasion of Rus, the Mongols under Batu Khan burned the city to the ground and killed its inhabitants.
• Nevertheless, Moscow was restored and became more important. Yet the Mongols came back in 1382 and burned Moscow City again.
• Still, Moscow shortly recovered and In the 15th century, it probably gained a population of about 50,000. But, unfortunately, in 1571 the Crimean Tatars burned Moscow again.
• By 1712, Tsar Peter the Great decided to move his capital to St. Petersburg from Moscow. With this, Moscow began a period of dissolution. In the 1770s Moscow suffered an outbreak of the bubonic plague. But still, Moscow University was successfully founded in 1755 and at the beginning of the 19th century, Moscow was prospering again.
• Arbat Street at that time was also established. But then, Napoleon invaded Russia. The Muscovites, the retreating party, set their own city on fire by 1812 and it was rebuilt completely at the beginning of the 19th century.
• During 1917 the Communists started a revolution in which they imposed a totalitarian government in Russia. By 1918, Lenin transferred his administration to Moscow.
• After Lenin, the tyrant Josef Stalin governed the city. Under his regime, several historic buildings in the city were destroyed. Nevertheless, the first line of the Metro opened in 1935.
• By June 1941, the Germans had invaded Russia and had arrived on the outskirts of Moscow by December. As they arrived, they suddenly  turned back.
• After the Second World War , Moscow continued prospering even though many nations boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980.
• Fortunately, Communism collapsed in Russia in 1991 and in 1997 Moscow celebrated its 850th anniversary.
• Moscow is situated on the banks of the Moskva River, which flows through the East European Plain in central Russia. Teplostanskaya highland is the city’s highest point at 255 meters (837 feet). The width of Moscow city (not limiting MKAD) from west to east is 39.7 km (24.7 mi), and the length from north to south is 51.8 km (32.2 mi).
• Moscow has a humid continental climate with long, cold winters usually lasting from mid-November through the end of March, and warm summers .
• Moscow is the financial center of Russia and home to the country’s largest banks and many of its largest companies, such as natural gas giant Gazprom.
• The Cherkizovsky marketplace was the largest marketplace in Europe , with a daily turnover of about thirty million dollars and about ten thousand venders from different countries including China and India .
• Many new business centers and office buildings have been built in recent years, but Moscow still experiences shortages in office space.
• With this, many former industrial and research facilities are being reconstructed to become suitable for office use.
• In totality, economic stability has developed in recent years. But, crime and corruption still hinder business growth.
• Saint Basil’s Cathedral is famed as the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed amongst the locals. It served as one of the crucial landmarks of Moscow.
• Location: Krasnaya Square, 2, Moscow 109012, Russia
• Moscow Kremlin serves as the home in which all these tourist sites reside. It encompasses almost all the famous sightseeing attractions such as the royal residence of the President of Russia.
• Location: Moscow, Russia
• Red Square separates the royal citadel of Kremlin from the ancient merchant quarter of Kitai-gorod, one of the most interesting places in Moscow. Bearing the weight of Russia’s history to a great extent, Red Square serves not just as an attraction but as the heart, soul, and symbol of the whole country.
• Location: Krasnaya Ploshchad, Moscow, Russia

Moscow Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Moscow across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Moscow worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Moscow, Russian Moskva, which is the capital and most populated city of Russia, situated in the westward part of the country. Moscow is not just the political capital city of Russia but also the industrial, cultural, scientific, and educational capital. For more than 600 years, Moscow also has been the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

• Moscow Facts
• Moscow Breaking News
• Moscow Basic Info
• Moscow’s Significant Events
• Moscow Characteristics
• Populous Cities
• Sports Facts
• Moscow Landmarks
• Symbolization
• Moscow Slogan

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List of Famous Moscow Buildings & Structures

List of the famous landmarks that make up the Moscow skyline, listed alphabetically with photos when available. Moscow architectural landmarks as well as other major buildings, dwellings, and other structures in Moscow are included on this list. Information about these Moscow buildings is included on this list, such as when the building first opened and what architectural style it falls under. List includes both new buildings in Moscow and older historic landmarks.

List buildings include Mercury City Tower, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow and many additional buildings as well.

This list answers the question, "What are the most famous buildings in Moscow?"

All-Russia Exhibition Centre

Almon asbury lieuallen house, bolshoi theatre, moscow, central moscow hippodrome, church of st. john the warrior, church of the intercession at fili, church of the savior on bolvany, city hall and city duma, city of capitals, dormition cathedral, moscow, dynamo sports palace, dynamo stadium, eduard streltsov stadium, eighth sister, federation tower, grand kremlin palace, house on mosfilmovskaya, kyiv railway terminus, moscow, kotelnicheskaya embankment, kotelnicheskaya embankment building, luzhniki palace of sports, luzhniki stadium, mason cornwall house, mcconnell-mcguire building, megasport arena, memorial gymnasium, mercury city tower, monument to the conquerors of space, moscow choral synagogue.

• Buildings/Attractions
• Places/Travel

Lists and galleries of some of the most famous, interesting, and beautiful buildings around the world and throughout history.