The Puppet and the Puppet-Master in Ancient Greece: Fragments of an Art Form

Of all performance traditions of antiquity, puppetry has attracted the least scholarly attention, yet, from the fragmentary evidence which has survived, it is possible to make a number of observations about the real practice of puppetry, beyond its metaphorical usage in philosophical texts. Relying on literary, epigraphical, and archaeological material, this paper addresses the inter-relation of the performance context, physical form, and aesthetic of ancient Greek puppetry. Puppeteers performed in a variety of contexts, which included public theaters, during religious festivals, where they were hired to supplement competitions in drama and music. This is documented in inscriptions relating to festivals. Like other hired entertainers, such as trick-magicians, acrobats, mimes, and pantomimes, puppeteers were known as thaumatopoioi ("marvel-makers"). Thauma is the wonder experienced at things which the viewer cannot comprehend, which seem impossible or defy expectation, and is often (as in the case of puppetry) associated with mimesis ("imitation"). Thauma is directed at puppets because they are inanimate objects, and yet appear to move as living beings in the miniature theater, an artful imitation of life.