The Greek theatre began around 550 BC in Athens, where it was institutionalized as part of the festival of Dionysus honoring the god Dionysus. The theatres were large to accommodate both the large number of performers on stage and the audiences of up to 14,000 people from all social classes. While women attended, they were not allowed to perform. The themes and music of the performances were masculine in nature, focusing on subjects like fighting and blood, as women did not act and the audiences and performers were primarily male.