Huddilston, John H.: The attitude of the Greek tragedians toward art (London, 1898)

PREFACE

Were Aischylos, Sophokles, and Euripides
influenced by works of art, and, if so, to what
extent ? This monograph represents an attempt
to answer this question so far as it is possible
from our present archaeological knowledge.
Although the nature of Greek tragedy was such
as to practically exclude excursions on, or allu-
sions to, works of art merely for art's sake,
there is still a considerable element of this sort
which, when studied from the standpoint of the
archaeologist, contributes much toward a better
understanding of the dramatists. It is not going
too far to say that we are able to assign to
Euripides at least a wholly unique position
among ancient poets. Perhaps no writer except
Lucian can lay claim to the appreciative taste
for art which the youngest of the three tra-
gedians manifests. Regarding Aischylos and
Sophokles, likewise, certain hardly less interest-