This essay explores whether the Great Dionysia and the birth of tragedy played a foundational role in supporting Athenian democracy by providing a cultural outlet during a period of rapid political transition. I sought to gain wisdom on whether society needs outlets in the form of art and self-expression to continue to function properly. Tragedy was art and Art is a form of wondering and exploration, it serves as a medium to question. Both the birth of democracy and the birth of tragedy represent profound moments of wonder in human history—times when the Athenians sought to understand their world, their place within it, and the forces that shaped their lives. This essay explores how this sense of wonder fuelled artistic and political innovation, leading to lasting wisdom.

In the wake of the Persian wars, Athens emerged as a powerful and confident polis. It was the golden age, the Hellenic period. With the help of the Delian league, Athens took on the role of the protector of all the Poli (bar Sparta). Athens began to see itself as not only the civic protector but also the protector of Hellenism, viewing itself as a bastion against barbarism (1). To the Greeks, barbarians couldn’t accept any civilized laws because their cultures were extremely primitive (2), they were, simply put, a lack of civilization. As the birthplace of democracy, Athens had a sort of superiority complex which is seen in them referring to any other type of governing as uncivilized.

The Athenians sense of pride and conviction in the superiority of their democracy and culture could be seen reflected in the Acropolis, which was designed not just for worship but for inspiring civic pride and confidence in the polis’ unique virtues (3) but more specifically the Parthenon. The Parthenon, which was built in honor of Athena and was a victory monument to Athens and displayed metopes featuring the victory over barbarism and chaos. These depictions served as reminders to Athenians of their unique role in preserving Greek civilization (4).

This strong identity of Athens as the bastion of civilization, reason, and order reflected what Nietzsche would later describe as Apollonian Beliefs: clarity, rationality, and structure. Throughout the ‘Birth of Tragedy’, he described the Apolline as ascetism (abstinence from worldly pleasures). Nietzsche also saw the Apolline tendency as having a ‘similarity t...

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