A parodos (also parode and parodus; grc, πάροδος, 'entrance', plural ), in the theater of ancient Greece, is a side-entrance to the stage, or the first song that is sung by the

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

at the beginning of a

Greek tragedy Greek tragedy is a form of theatre from Ancient Greece and Greek inhabited Anatolia. 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 widely believed t ...

Side-entrance to the theater

The parodos is a large passageway affording access either to the stage (for actors) or to the

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

(for the

) of the ancient Greek theater. The parodoi can be distinguished from the entrances to the stage from the ''

skene Skene may refer to: * Skene, Aberdeenshire, a community in North East Scotland, United Kingdom * Skene, Mississippi, an unincorporated community in Mississippi, United States * Skene, Sweden, a village now part of Kinna, Sweden * Skene (automobi ...

'', or stage building, as the two parodoi are long ramps located on either side of the stage, between the and the '' theatron'', or audience seating area. The term ('way in') is also used. Scholars note that was an older term for the passageway while ''parodos'' was widely used by writers from Aristotle onwards.

Entrance song of the chorus

''Parodos'' also refers to the ode sung by the chorus as it enters and occupies its place in the orchestra.

Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ...

defined it as "the first whole utterance of a chorus". Usually the first choral song of the drama, the parodos typically follows the play's

prologue A prologue or prolog (from Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "word") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ...

. It is an important part as it defined the chorus, provide information about the plot, and assist or fight the protagonist. In Greek comedy, the parodos is considered the climactic moment. The parodos is highly commemorated in Athenian artifacts that show choral performance.

References

* Ancient Greek theatre {{theat-stub