Theatre Rituals

Abstract The shows in the ancient theatre did not only consist of theatrical and other artistic performances. A large variety of other activities, including ritual actions, took place both on the occasion of thymelic and musical competitions and in the context of other celebrations. After presenting an overview of the religious rituals performed in theatres, this paper focusses on non-religious rituals, such as the crowning of benefactors, the announcement of honours, ceremonial entrances of magistrates and honoured persons, acclamations, speech acts, and rituals of consecration. It is argued that stereotypical formulae in honorific decrees and other inscriptions reflect rituals of communication between mortals and immortals, between subject and ruler, between mass and élite, and between citizens and foreigners. Certain clauses in inscriptions should be interpreted as ‘stage directions’ for the successful performance of rituals. Theatre rituals were perhaps not meant to be spectacles; perhaps the theatre was chosen as their setting only because of the advantages it offered in a practical sense (acoustics, seats, large gatherings of people). But the choice of this particular setting, i.e. the space of thea (the watching of spectacles), sooner or later had consequences for the form of the rituals themselves.