Thespis was a stage actor in Ancient Greece. He was born in the ancient city of Icarius. According to certain Ancient Greek sources and especially , he was the first human to appear on stage as an actor playing a character in a play. In other sources, he is said to have introduced the first principal actor in addition to the chorus. He is often called the "Inventor of Tragedy". His name is the origin of the word "thespian", meaning actor.
Key Facts
| Subject | Thespis |
| Category | 6th-century BCE Greek actor |
| Reading time | 1 min · Intermediate |