The Athenians loved theatre and held regular competitive festivals where the great names of the day battled it out to huge audiences. All actors were male, wearing masks and often performing multiple roles, always in verse. Narration was provided by a group of actors called the Chorus.

Tragedy was regarded the higher art form, with its mythical tales retelling the downfall of a hero, often through his own arrogance. Pity, fear and divine justice were recurring themes.

Three men are regarded as the masters of Greek tragedy: Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. They developed plotting and characterisation, added painted backdrops and elaborate costumes. They also told astonishing stories, including Euripides’ Medea, the distressing tale of a woman who kills her children out of obsession, and Sophocles’ Oedipus, the tragedy of a king who uncovers his own history to find he has murdered his father and married his mother.

Comedy was a more boisterous affair, often taking a swipe at politics and figures of the day. The master of comedy was Aristophanes, whose work included Frogs, set in the underworld and featuring a competition between Aeschylus and Sophocles, both of whom had recently died.