Greek tragedy is a form of
theatre from
Ancient Greece and
Asia Minor. It reached its most significant form in
Athens in the 5th century BC, the works of which are sometimes called
Attic tragedy. Greek tragedy is an extension of the ancient rites carried out in honor of
Dionysus, and it heavily influenced the theatre of
Ancient Rome and the
Renaissance. Tragic plots were most often based upon
myths from the oral traditions of archaic
epics. In tragic theatre, however, these narratives were presented by actors. The most acclaimed Greek tragedians are
Aeschylus,
Sophocles and
Euripides.