Question

Death was not performed onstage in Greek theatre, but it was sometimes revealed through a type of wheeled platform that wheeled characters onstage from inside a building. What was this platform called?

Answer 1

The wheeled platform used in ancient Greek theatre to reveal deaths and other non-staged actions was called the Eccyclema.

Step-by-step explanation:

In ancient Greek theatre, death was not depicted onstage. Instead, deaths and other offstage actions were often revealed to the audience through the use of the Eccyclema, a wheeled platform that would bring characters onto the stage from inside the building, like the skene. The eccyclema was a form of ancient stage machinery used to reveal certain scenes, such as tableau or aftermaths of violent acts that convention forbid from showing directly to the audience in a live performance.

The Greek period of theater introduced sophisticated technical elements creating the illusion of these dramatic moments. Besides the eccyclema, other devices included the Machina, which was a crane used to lower gods onto the stage, simulating their descent from the heavens, and the Periaktoi, which were triangular rotating columns for changing scenes.

The Romans further developed these concepts, adding more elaborate scenery changes and effects, such as elevators, ramps, and full-scale battle reenactments. Greek drama was performed in specific theater layouts like the Theatre of Dionysus, featuring distinctive elements such as the theatron, orkestra, skene, paraskene, and parodoi to support the performance.