Theater of Dionysus

or, again, that story about Meidias and the blow of the fist that Demosthenes got when he was choregus, in the orchestra, and how for thirty minas he sold both the insult to himself and the vote of censure that the people had passed against Meidias in the theater of Dionysus.

First, however, I will tell the reason why the laws governing the proclamations in the theater were enacted.

He expressly forbids the manumission of a slave in the theater, or the proclamation of a crown by the tribe or deme, or by any one else, he says, and the herald who disobeys shall lose his civic rights.

For if it had been a tragedy in the theater of Dionysus that you were watching and not a debate on the very existence of your state, you could not have shown more partiality to him and more ill-will against me.