Who likely were the first readers 

Gentiles who needed support

• in facing persecution

• in understanding Jewish practice

• in knowing who Jesus was and how to follow him

When

• if pre-AD70 then useful for those being persecuted in Rome by Nero

• early enough to be used by Matthew and/or Luke as a source

• Alexander and Rufus (15:21) possibly still alive and on the scene

How has Mark been viewed over time

Seen as a 'digest' version of Matthew due to shared material

Shorter - possibly to allow for memorisation

Combined with the others by Tatian in the diatessaron 

Fell out of favour until genius recognised and Markan Priority became more accepted

In the early christian wiritings, Matthew’s gospel was the most popular, because tradition, going back to Augustine, claimed that Matthew’s was the first of the four to have been composed. Due to this supposed order, Mark was seen only as an “abbreviator” of Matthew. 

There are no patristic commentaries on Mark before Victor of Antioch’s in the 5tth/6th century. Compared to the other gospels  there are not many dedicated works focussed on the Gospel of Mark. 

As so much of Mark’s gospel is found in Matthew or Luke (or shared in both), it was overlooked. According to one count it is estimated that 600 of Mark’s 661 verses are repeated in some way in the other gospel records.