At the bottom of the south slope of the Acropolis is the Theatre of Dionysus, the oldest known theater in the world. As its name suggests, it was dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine and the patron of drama. Here, in the fifth century BC, distinguished Greek poets such as Aristophanes, Euripides, and Sophocles saw the premieres of their plays along with 17,000 other spectators as part of playwright competitions. The theater was initially made of wood, but in the fourth century BC, it was given a stone makeover.