choragus, in ancient Greek theatre, any wealthy Athenian citizen who paid the costs of theatrical productions at festivals during the 4th and 5th centuries bc.
Since theatrical performances were civic ceremonies in ancient Greece, the state paid the actors’ salaries. The additional expenses of production—including the salaries and training of the chorus, costumes for the chorus and flute players, and payment of the mutes or extras—were assigned to choragi, or producers, on a rotating basis.
Choragi were appointed to playwrights by lot in July, giving them time to prepare for the dithyrambic, tragic, and comic contests of the Lenaea festival in winter and the Great Dionysia festival in spring, both of which honoured the Greek god Dionysus. Since the spirit of these contests was highly competitive, a rich, helpful, and charitable choragus gave the playwright an advantage. If the play won a prize, however, it officially was awarded to the choragus.
In 406–405 bc, when the Peloponnesian War increased financial burdens, the duties of the choragus for tragedy and comedy were divided between two choragi. A century later the Athenian choragus was replaced by an agonothete, an annually elected producer provided with state funds, thereby transferring the burden of financing productions from the citizens to the state.