This course is taught in English for Erasmus+ students. Through this course, students acquire valuable knowledge on the significance of ancient rituals in relation to ancient Greek drama, as well as on scenography, costume, theatre architecture and the performative contexts of ancient Greek theatre. In addition, field visits to selected ancient theatre sites in Argolis, included in the course, enhance the theoretical knowledge gained in class and allow students to practice the terminology of ancient Greek theatre in situ. Students are also introduced to foundational ancient dramatic texts and to aspects of the reception of ancient Greek drama in later dramaturgy, cinema, and performance, with attention to the cultural processes that shape the relationship between source texts and their reception. Finally, the course highlights ancient drama as a unique and diachronically influential cultural formation by engaging with modern interpretations of selected tragedies from different disciplinary perspectives, including psychoanalysis, anthropology, philosophy, critical theory, and Hellenic studies.

After the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• understand the relationship between ancient Greek drama and ritual practice in antiquity; 
• recognize key elements of scenography, costume, theatre architecture, and performance contexts in ancient Greek theatre; 
• apply theatre terminology in relation to ancient performance spaces through experiential learning in archaeological sites; 
• analyse foundational ancient dramatic texts and identify their structural and thematic features; 
• understand processes of reception of ancient Greek drama in later theatre, cinema, and performance; 
• critically evaluate interpretative approaches to ancient tragedy from different theoretical perspectives, including psychoanalysis, anthropology, philosophy, critical theory, and Hellenic studies.