Lenaia

 ( Ancient Greek Theatre ) 

The festival may have had rites for women. The coincidence of invoking Iacchus, seen as Dionysus as a child, by torchlight and commemorating the myth of the god's death and rebirth. This happened both in Delphi and in Athens in the Lenaia, in the same season, winter. It further supports the idea that Attic Lenaia had a specific ritual involving women, the followers of the god. The ritual associated in this case with the idea of the resurrection of the god associated with wine production and the wine press. Though, whether or not it was a festival for women, or that festival heavily involved them, is still a debate. In Athens, there was no mention of a women's festival. However, that could be due to that women are associated with Dionysus's secret and sacred rites, which wouldn't normally be talked about or made public.

Athenian woman probably participated in the nocturnal rites. They may have played an important role in ‘calling’ or invoking the god. But, they were not the main focus and are not even mentioned in the texts. However, women are depicted on Attic vases as being close to the process of wine production along with the unmixed wine. Along with that, the of untamed nature are also found, along with the god himself.

In Athens, the festival was originally held in the Lenaion (possibly a theatre outside the city or a section of the Agora) but probably moved to the Theatre of Dionysus by the mid-fifth century.Csapo and Slater (1998, 123) Beginning in the second half of the 5th century BC, plays were performed (as they were at the Dionysia festival later in the year). The audiences for the Lenaia were usually limited to the local population, since travel by sea at that time of year was considered unsafe.Brockett and Hildy (2003, 20). , however, were apparently allowed to both participate and act as Choregos. Around 442 BC, new comic contests were officially included in the Lenaia, though plays may have been performed there earlier on an informal basis. At first, the festival held dramatic competitions only for comedy, but in 432 BC a Tragedy contest was introduced. Many of Aristophanes' plays were first performed there, such as 'Knights'. As with the competition at the City Dionysia, five comedies usually competed (except during the Peloponnesian War when only three were staged). When the contest for tragedy was introduced, two tragedians competed, each presenting two plays. There is no evidence of being performed, but were included in the third century BC. Towards the end of the century, the festival's plays were performed in the Theatre of Dionysus (although it is unclear when this location was first used). It is unknown when the Lenaia was abandoned, but contests of some sort continued into the 2nd century BC.

• Anthesteria and Bacchanalia
• Dionysia
• Lenaeus (disambiguation)
• Satyr

• Brockett, Oscar G. and Franklin J. Hildy. 2003. History of the Theatre. Ninth edition, International edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. .
• Pickard-Cambridge, Sir Arthur. 1953. The Dramatic Festivals of Athens. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon P, 1968.