This is where it all began: the Theater of Dionysus in Athens. Masked actors performed outdoors, in daylight, before audiences of 10,000 or more at festivals in honor of Dionysus, the god of theater. The most elaborate form of Mime, known as hypothesis, may have approached the level of true drama. This would be performed by companies of actors, who would often concentrate more on the development of their characters, than the plot itself. Often one actor would play the part of several individuals in the production.
The comedy and tragedy which developed in Athens and flourished in the fifth and fourth centuries BC, have influenced nearly all subsequent Western drama, starting with that of the Romans. When the Romans conquered Greece, they brought Greek art of mime back to Italy and set about making it their own.
The Romans, with their love of spectacle, soon took over the existing theaters in Greece and began renovating and rebuilding them for their own spectacles, which included everything from pantomime to mock- naval battles. The remains of the Theater of Dionysus which we can see in Athens today date to Roman times and not the fifth century BC.
Mime enjoyed much success and growth under Emperor Augustus of Rome.
After the fall of the Roman empire, the Christian church showed great opposition to the bawdy, and often indecent associations of Mime, and excommunicated all performers, and closed down all the theatres. Despite this, the basic form of Mime survived. As the Church began to relax its attitude, mystery and morality plays began to appear with religious themes, many performed in mime.
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