Round dance in antique culture: images, meanings, symbols

The article is devoted to the consideration of the phenomenon of a round dance in Ancient Greece. The author made an attempt to highlight the essence and structure of antique round dance as a syncretic phenomenon, to reveal its images, meanings and symbols. The role and significance of round dances in antique culture is considered. It is shown that round dances in antique culture performed a number of important functions - aesthetic, religious, educational, etc. The theory of three round dances of Plato's and their classification are presented. The main approaches of antique thinkers to the definition of “chorus”, “round dance” concepts are investigated, the terminology associated with the art of round dance is considered. Particular attention is paid to the works of Plato, Lucian, Plutarch, Pausanias, Homer and modern philosophical, cultural, art history works, which made it possible to highlight the main traits and compositional, lexical features of antique round dances. The main types of antique round dances are considered.