There is a very famous case from the Classical Greece: The fall of Miletus.

Sadly, the tragedy by Phrynicus has not survived to this day. Phrynichus was one of the first dramaturgists of ancient Greece, and is credited as one the creators of tragedy as a theatrical genre, which is no small feat. Judging by the title, the tragedy told the story of the Ionian rebellion, which was still fresh in the Athenians memory, as it was one of the first military encounters between the Greeks and the Persians.

Miletus had been an ally of Athens, and remembering the capture and sack of the city by the Persian army dealt a very heavy blow to public morale. Let's not forget that Phrynichus belonged to the Athenian faction of Themistokles, and that is a reason why he developed the historical drama, as it was a very performative and clear way to make his point, in this case reminding the people of Athens of what happens in the lack of a strong leader under which to fight against the outside threat of the Persians. The fall of Miletus also reminded the Athenian folk of the burning of Athens some years earlier and how terrible it had been.

Herodotus, in his Histories, book VI, recalls the story of the play, and his account of it is abundantly clear on the matter, and how harshly Phrynichus was punished:

The Athenians, on the other hand, showed themselves beyond measure afflicted at the fall of Miletus, in many ways expressing their sympathy, and especially by their treatment of Phrynichus. For when this poet brought out upon the stage his drama of the Capture of Miletus, the whole theatre burst into tears; and the people sentenced him to pay a fine of a thousand drachms, for recalling to them their own misfortunes. They likewise made a law that no one should ever again exhibit that piece.

The concept of one thousand drachms may not transmit enough in and of itself, so it is worthy of notice to give some context to the figure. According to Thucydides (History of the Peloponesian War, book III), a heavy infantry hoplite, which is a specialised soldier, was earning two drachmae per day, one for himself and one for his servant. This figure would put the 1,000 drachms as nearly the salary of 3 years of a specialised infantry soldier, which is no small punishment.