Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

TRA GOEDIA. TRAGOEDIA. 11 15
Homer. Another instance of his departure from dignus," was frequently employed by Euripides to
the spirit and form of the old tragedy, as connected effect the delnozisment of his pieces. The chorus too
with Dionysus, is shown in his treatment of the no longer discharged its proper and high functions
Dithyrambic chorus of fifty men, which in his tri- either as a representative of the feelings of unprelogy of the Oresteia he did not bring on the stage judiced observers, or, "as one of the actors, and a
all at once, hut divided it into separate parts mak- part of the whole," joining in the development of
ing a diffeir'nt set of choreutae for each of the three the piece. Many of his choral odes in fact are
pieces. (Miiller, Euszenicl.) In the latter part of but remotely connected in subject with the action
his life Aeschylus made use of one of the improve- of the play. Another novelty of Euripides was the
ments of Sophocles, namely the TpIraywe7e-Tss,, or use of the "monodies " or lyrical songs. in whiclh
third actor. This was the finishing stroke to the not the chorus, but the principal petsons of the
dramatic element of Attic tragedy, which Sopho- drama, declare their emotions and sufferinrs. They
cles is said to have matured by further improve- were amongst the most brilliant parts of his pieces,
ments in costume and scene-painting. Under him and being sung by persons on the stage, are solnetragedy appears with less of sublimity and stern- times described as catl arrb Ke4rViS. (Phot. Lea.
ness than in the hands of Aeschylus, but with s. v.) Aristophanes often parodied them, and
more of calm grandeur and quiet dignity and touch- makes Euripides say of himself (Ranae, 944), that
ing incident. His latter plays are the perfection he "nurtured tragedy with monodies, introducing
of the Grecian tragic drama, as a work of art and Cephisophon " his chief actor, to sing them.
poetic composition in a thoroughly chastened and E
classic style, written whels as he says of himself he T
had put away the boyish pomp of Aeschylua (hbv Euripides was also the inventor of tragi-comedy,
AIo'Xov 8larerrarX&s oyscov), and the harsh ob- which not improbably suggested, as it certainly
scurity of his own too great refinements, and at- resembled, the'I5aporpay?9,Ba of the Alexandriso
tained to that style which he thought the best, age, the latter being a half-tragic, half-comic drama,
and most suited for portraying the characters of or rather a parody or travesty of tragical subjects.
men. (Plut. de Pro. V. S. p. 79, b.) The intro- A specimen of the Euripidean tragi-comedy is still
duction of the third actor enabled him to do this extant in the Alcestis, acted B. c. 438, as the 1;st
the more effectually, by showing the principal cha- of four pieces, and therefore as a substitute for a
racter on different sides and under different cir- Satyrical drama. Though tragic in its form and
cumstances, both as excited by the opposition of some of its scenes, it has a mixture of comlic arid
one and drawn out by the sympathies of another. satyric characters (e. g. Hercules) and concludes
[HISTRIO, P. 611.] Hence though the plays of happily.
Sophocles are longer than those of Aeschylus, still It remains to make some remarks on the nature
there is not a corresponding increase of action, but and object of Greek tragedy in general, and on
a more perfect delineation of character. Creon for the parts into which it was divided. According
instance in the Antigone, and Ajax are more per- to Plato (Leg. vii. p. 817) the truest tragedy is an
fect and minutely drawn characters than any in imitation of the noblest and best life:'IcuJr
Aeschylus. The part of the chorus is, on the other Tro KaAreaXoroU Kal a&pi'-ou L0ov. Aristotle's dehand, considerably diminished in his plays. Ano- finition is more comprehensive and perhaps perfect.
ther distinguishing feature in them is their moral " Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is imsignificance and ethical teaching. Though the cha. portant (snrou3aas), and entire, and of a proper
racters in them are taken from the old subjects of magnitude, in pleasurable language, by means of
national interest, still they do not always appear action, not of narration, and effecting through teras heroes, or above the level of common humanity, ror and pity the refinement and correction of such
but in stuch situations and under the influence of passions " (ar-v rsotoUrw raOelpdrarw KdOapor'). He
such motives, passions, and feelings as fall to the then adds, Tragedy contains six parts: the story,
lot of men in general: so that "' every one may re- i. e. the combination of incidents or plot, manners,
cognise in them some likeness of himself." expression, sentiment, decoration, and music (/60os
Irs the hands of Euripides tragedy deteriorated ical`iOs, cal AeCE~, real dea'vola, ical 4itrs, iral yesonot only in dignity, but also in its moral and reli- roeda). Of these the story is the principal part,
gious significance. He introduces his heroes in dexeloping the character of agents, and being in
rags and tatters, and busies them with petty affairs, fact the very soul of tragedy. The manners come
and makes them speak the language of every-day next, and.manifest the disposition of the speakers.
life. As Sophocles said of him (Arist. Poet. 25), The sentiments take the third place, and comprehe represented men not as they ought to be, but as hend whatever is said, whether proving anything,
they are, without any ideal greatness or poetic or expressing some general reflection. Afterwards
character -thoroughly prosaic personages. Hiis he adds, Fables are of two sorts, simple and comdialogues too were little else than the rhetorical plicated (of ie &a'rAX,. o' He wrerAEyeEi'rvt), the
and forensic language of his day cleverly put into catastrophe of the former produced without a revoverse: full of sophistry and quibbling distinctions. lution o: discovery, of the latter with one or both.
One of the peculiarities of his tragedies was the Now a revolution (sreptrE-rreta) is a change to the
7rpoAoyos, an introductory monologue, with which reverse of what is expected from the circumlstances
some hero or god opens the play, telling who he of the action: a discovery (&Ia'y'vc6polrs) is a change
is, what is the state of affairs, and what has hap- from kiown or unknown, happening between chapened tp to the time of his address, so as to put raeters whose happiness or unhappiness forms the
the audience in possession of every fact which it catastrophe of the drama. The best sort of dismight be necessary for them to know:, a very covery is accompanied by a revolution, as in the
business like proceeding no doubt, but a poor make- Oedipus. Aristotle next enumerates the parts of
shift for artistical skill. The " Delus ex machine," qrzantity (ncara& Tb 7robv) or division in tragedy:
also, though not always, in a "nodus, tall vindice these are, the prologue, episode, exode, and choral