The southeast slope of the Acropolis was occupied by sanctuaries of Dionysus, the patron god of wine. The faithful used the area to perform the dithyramb in his honour and eventually built a theatre. The drama was, after all, closely associated with Dionysus. The evolution of the building is quite interesting. First came a circular orchestra, followed by the statue of the honoured god and the koilon (auditorium). Permanent seats were added at a later time. Then came the skene and a marble platform with stone reliefs illustrating scenes from the life of Dionysus. In 333 BCE, the orator Lycurgus transformed the theatre on a monumental scale. The Romans added their touch, but in the Christian period the structure fell into disuse. The dramatic performances were closely associated with the political and social realities, and there was a vital element of satire in some of these plays. The theatre of Dionysus hosted the plays of the three great tragedians (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides) in the 5th century and accommodated the needs of the ecclesia (assembly of the citizens) in the fourth century.