TherearemanytheoriesaboutthebeginningofdramainancientGreece.Theonmostwidelyacceptedtodayisbasedontheassumptionthatdramaevolvedfromritual.Theargumentforthisviewgoesasfollows.Inthebeginning,humanbeingsviewedthenaturalforcesoftheworld-eventheseasonalchanges-asunpredictable,andtheysoughtthroughvariousmeanstocontroltheseunknownandfearedpowers.Thosemeasureswhichappearedtobringthedesiredresultswerethenretainedandrepeateduntiltheyhardenedintofixedrituals.
Eventuallystoriesarosewhichexplainedorveiledthemysteriesoftherites.Astimepassedsomeritualswereabandoned,butthestories,latercalledmyths,persistedandprovidedmaterialforartanddrama.Thosewhobelievethatdramaevolvedoutofritualalsoarguethatthoseritescontainedtheseedoftheaterbecausemusic,dance,masks,andcostumeswerealmostalwaysused,Furthermore,asuitablesitehadtobeprovidedforperformancesandwhentheentirecommunitydidnotparticipate,acleardivisionwasusuallymadebetweenthe"actingarea"andthe"auditorium."Inaddition,therewereperformers,and,sinceconsiderableimportancewasattachedtoavoidingmistakesintheenactmentofrites,religiousleadersusuallyassumedthattask.Wearingmasksandcostumes,theyoftenimpersonatedotherpeople,animals,orsupernaturalbeings,andmimedthedesiredeffect-successinhuntorbattle,thecomingrain,therevivaloftheSun-asanactormight.Eventuallysuchdramaticrepresentationswereseparatedfromreligiousactivities.
Anothertheorytracesthetheater'soriginfromthehumaninterestinstorytelling.Accordingtothisviestales(aboutthehunt,war,orotherfeats)aregraduallyelaborated,atfirstthroughtheuseofimpersonation,action,anddialoguebyanarratorandthenthroughtheassumptionofeachoftherolesbyadifferentperson.Acloselyrelatedtheorytracestheatertothosedancesthatareprimarilyrhythmicalandgymnasticorthatareimitationsofanimalmovementsandsounds.
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