Ancient Theatre and Performance Culture Around the Black Sea

Presents a landmark study combining key specialists around the region with well-established international scholars, from a wide range of disciplines.

David Braund (Edited by), Edith Hall (Edited by), Rosie Wyles (Edited by)

9781107170599, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 28 November 2019

318 pages, 194 b/w illus.
25.4 x 18.1 x 3 cm, 1.3 kg

This is the first study of ancient theatre and performance around the coasts of the Black Sea. It brings together key specialists around the region with well-established international scholars on theatre and the Black Sea, from a wide range of disciplines, especially archaeology, drama and history. In that way the wealth of material found around these great coasts is brought together with the best methodology in all fields of study. This landmark book broadens the whole concept and range of theatre outside Athens. It shows ways in which the colonial world of the Black Sea may be compared importantly with Southern Italy and Sicily in terms of theatre and performance. At the same time, it shows too how the Black Sea world itself can be better understood through a focus on the development of theatre and performance there, both among Greeks and among their local neighbours.

Part I. Approaches: 1. Introduction – embarking on a voyage around Black Sea theatre David Braund
2. The spread of Greek theatre to the West – and to the North-East? Oliver Taplin
3. The northward advance of Greek horizons Stephanie West
Part II. Places: 4. The tragedians of Heraclea and comedians of Sinope Edith Hall
5. The Phanagoria Chous – comic art in miniature in a luxury tomb in the Cimmerian Bosporus Jeffrey Rusten
6. Theatre and performance in the Bosporan Kingdom David Braund
7. Ancient theatre in Tauric Chersonesus Sergey Saprykin
8. Theatre at Olbia in the Black Sea Valeriya Bylkova
9. Celebrating Dionysos in Istros and Tomis – theatrical manifestations and artistic life in two Ionian cities of the Black Sea Madalina Dana
10. Ancient theatres and theatre-art of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and Thracian Hinterland Alexander Minchev
Part III. Plays: 11. Space, place and the metallurgical imagination of the Prometheus trilogy Emmanuela Bakola
12. Fragmentary Greek tragedies set in the Black Sea Rosie Wyles
13. Black Sea back story – Euripides' Medea Edith Hall
14. Mind-games in the Crimea – Euripides' Iphigenia in Tauris Felix Budelmann
15. Visualising Euripides' Tauric Temple of the Maiden Goddess Edith Hall
Part IV. Performative Presences: 16. Music and performance among Greeks and Scythians Marina Vakhtina
17. A new mask and musical instruments from the Eastern Bosporus Vladimir Bochkovoy, David Braund, Roman Mimokhodov and Nikolay Sudarev
18. The Cult of Dionysus in Ancient Georgia Manana Odisheli
19. Paratheatrical performances in the Bosporan Kingdom – the evidence of terracotta figurine Maya Muratov
20. Historiography and theatre: the tragedy of Scythian King Skyles David Braund
21. Life trajectories – Iphigenia, Helen and Achilles on the Black Sea Froma Zeitlin
Epilogue: dancing around the Black Sea – Xenophon, Pseudo-Scymnus and Lucian's bacchants David Braund.

Subject Areas: Classical Greek & Roman archaeology [HDDK], Social & cultural history [HBTB], Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], European history [HBJD], Theatre studies [AN]