Moments in the History of Theatre
1. The Rites of Dionysus, 1200–600 BC
Annual rites to the god of wine and revelry were held each spring, and involved orgies, feasts and the ingestion of herbs that led to wild ecstasies. A dithyramb (ode to Dionysus) was sung by a chorus of men dressed as satyrs. It eventually evolved into narratives, which in turn developed into the first plays.
2. Thespis, 6th century BC
During one of these group chorales, an intrepid performer named Thespis broke away from the group and added a solo narrative. The innovation took hold, and the new individual role was known as the protagonist, the individual hero of the drama, now backed by the chorus.
3. Drama Competitions, 534 BC
In 534 BC, the ruler of Athens, Pisistratus, formalized the Dionysan festivals into fully fledged drama competitions, held annually. Thespis won the first competition.
4. Aeschylus, the First Playwright, 472 BC
To the protagonist, Aeschylus introduced a second character, the antagonist, creating new possibilities. Then in 472 BC came Persians , the earliest known play.
5. Sophocles Beats Aeschylus in the Drama Competition, 468 BC
Sophocles brought another innovation to the blossoming form of drama – a third character. He also wrote what is still considered the greatest masterpiece of tragedy, Oedipus Rex .
DK
There is clear evidence of Mycenaean Greek before they even settled on Cyprus, through Linear B. They just adapted the Cypro-Minoan script for them to use. I have never heard any expert in this field argue that the Greek language originated in Cyprus, have you?
