“Did you know that the Ancient Greeks invented the theatre? They loved watching plays, and most cities had a theatre – some big enough to hold 15,000 people. Only men and boys were allowed to be actors, and they wore masks, which showed the audience whether their character was happy or sad. Some of the masks had two sides, so the actor could turn them around to change the mood for each scene.”
“The Ancient Greeks held many festivals in honour of their gods. To celebrate the god Zeus, for example, the first Greek Olympics were held in the city of Olympia in 776 BC and are thought to have inspired our own Olympic Games. The winners of each event were given a wreath of leaves, and when they returned home, they would be given free meals and the best seats in the theatre.”
“The city-states were often at war, but just before the Olympics, a truce would be called so that everyone could travel to Olympia safely.”
Source: National Geographic