Dionysia

[dahy-uh-nish-ee-uh, -nis-]

plural noun

1. the orgiastic and dramatic festivals held periodically in honor of Dionysus, especially those in Attica, from which Greek comedy and tragedy developed.

Dionysia

/ ˌdaɪəˈnɪzɪə /

plural noun

1. (in ancient Greece) festivals of the god Dionysus: a source of Athenian drama

Word History and Origins

Origin of Dionysia¹

1890–95; < Latin < Greek

Example Sentences

By melding civic ritual with dramatic art, the yearly City Dionysia and related festivals fostered an essential cultural space for reflection and debate, a forum that shaped democratic deliberation.

From Salon

Their plays premiered at the annual City Dionysia, a festival that was held on the slopes of the Acropolis each spring, drawing large audiences.

From New York Times

We know it wasn’t a comedy because, with a bias that persists to this day, the city Dionysia didn’t get around to recognizing komoidía alongside tragoidia until three years later.

From Los Angeles Times

The words “being boring” took me back to the early ’70s and an invitation I had received to the Great Urban Dionysia Party in Newcastle, England, where I grew up.

From Wall Street Journal

Greek theatergoers at the City Dionysia competition in 431 B.C. were equally outraged.

From Washington Post