The first instances of theater gave the term its name. It involved actors performing on a stage in the well of a half-circle arena (the ''theatron''). The usual subject matter in the Greek theater involved the Greek pantheon and various heroic and military stories of the ancient Hellenic civilizations prior to the [[First Olympiad]]. Besides the paying of homage to pagan gods, the classic Greek plays quite often treated sensitive subjects--famously including incest, adultery, rape and murder--in a mature and forthright manner. Most Greek plays were tragedies, involving characters who came to bad ends, usually by displaying excessive pride and trying to outdo the gods or thwart prophecy. | The first instances of theater gave the term its name. It involved actors performing on a stage in the well of a half-circle arena (the ''theatron''). The usual subject matter in the Greek theater involved the Greek pantheon and various heroic and military stories of the ancient Hellenic civilizations prior to the [[First Olympiad]]. Besides the paying of homage to pagan gods, the classic Greek plays quite often treated sensitive subjects--famously including incest, adultery, rape and murder--in a mature and forthright manner. Most Greek plays were tragedies, involving characters who came to bad ends, usually by displaying excessive pride and trying to outdo the gods or thwart prophecy. |