Smith, William: A smaller dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities (London, 1871)

TRAGOEDIA.

383

TRAGOEDIA.

For some time previously to this poet, and
probably as early as Thespis, tragedy had
been gradually departing more and more from
its old characteristics, and inclining to heroic
fables, to which the chorus of Satyrs was not
a fit accompaniment. But the fun and mer-
riment caused by them were too good to be
lost. Accordingly the Satyrical drama, dis-
tinct from the recent and dramatic tragedy,
but suggested by the sportive element of the
old Dithyramb, was founded by Pratinas,
who however appears to have been surpassed
in his own invention by Choerilus. It was
always written by tragedians, and generally
three tragedies and one Satyrical piece were
represented together, which in some instances
at least formed a connected whole, called a
tetralogy (TeTpaAoyi'a). The Satyrical piece
was acted last, so that the minds of the spec-
tators were agreeably relieved by a merry
after-piece at the close of an earnest and en-
grossing tragedy. The distinguishing feature
of this drama was the chorus of Satyrs, in
appropriate dresses and masks, and its sub-
jects seem to have been taken from the same
class of the adventures of Bacchus and of the
heroes as those of tragedy ; but of course
they were so treated and selected, that the
presence of rustic satyrs would seem appro-
priate. In their jokes and drollery consisted
the merriment of the piece ; for the kings and
heroeswho were introduced into their company
were not of necessity thereby divested of their
epic and legendary character, though they were
obliged to conform to their situation and suffer
some diminution of dignity, from their posi-
tion. Hence Horace (Ar. Poet. 231) says:—

" Erl'utire leves indi^na Tragoedia versus

Intererit Satyris paulum pudibunda protervis,"—

alluding in the first line to the mythic or
epic element of the Satyric drama, which he
calls Tragoedia, and in the second represent-
ing it as being rather ashamed of its com-
pany. The " Cyclops " of Euripides is the
only Satyric drama now extant.—The great
improvements in tragedy were introduced by
Aeschylus. This poet added a second actor,
diminished the parts of the chorus, and made
the dialogue the principal part of the action.
He also availed himself of the aid of Aga-
tharchus, the scene-painter, and improved
the costume of his actors by giving them
thick-soled boots (ep./3aTcu), as well as the
masks, which he made more expressive and
characteristic. Horace [Ar. Poet. 278) thus
alludes to his improvements :—■

u personae pallaeque repertor hon^stae
Aeschylus, et modiuis inatravit puipita tignis
Et docuit magnuit-^ue loqui, nitique cothurno."—■

The custom of contending with trilogies (Vpi-
Aoyt'cu), or with three plays at a time, is said

to have been also introduced by him. In
fact he did so much for tragedy, and so com-
pletely built it up to its "towering height,"
that he was considered the father of it. The
subjects of his dramas were not connected
with the worship of Dionysus ; but rather
with the great cycle of Hellenic legends and
some of the myths of the Homeric Kpos. Ac-
cordingly, he said of himself that his dramas
were but scraps and fragments from the great
feasts of Homer. In the latter part of his
life Aeschylus made use of one of the im-
provements of Sophocles, namely the Tpira-
ywvio~n)<;, or third actor. This was the finish-
ing stroke to the dramatic element of Attic
tragedy, which Sophocles is said to have ma-
tured by further improvements in costume
and scene-painting. Under him tragedy ap-
pears with less of sublimity and sternness
than in the hands of Aeschylus, but with
more of calm grandeur and quiet dignity and
touching incident. The plays of Sophocles
are the perfection of the Grecian tragic dra-
ma, as a work of art and poetic composition
in a thoroughly chastened and classic style.
In the hands of Euripides tragedy deterio-
rated not only in dignity, but also in its
moral and religious significance. He intro-
duces his heroes in rags and tatters, and
busies them with petty affairs, and makes
them speak the language of every-day life.
As Sophocles said of him, he represented
men not as they ought to be, but as they are,
without any ideal greatness or poetic charac-
ter. His dialogues too were little else than
the rhetorical and forensic language of his
day cleverly put into verse : full of sophistry
and quibbling distinctions. One of the
peculiarities of his tragedies was the np6\o-
yos, an introductory monologue, with which
some hero or god opens the play, telling who
he is, what is the state of affairs, and what
has happened up to the time of his address,
so as to put the audience in possession of
every fact which it might be necessary for
them to know : a very business-like pro-
ceeding no doubt, but a poor make-shift
for artistical skill. The "Deus ex machina,"
also, though not always, in a " nodus, tali
vindice digitus," was frequently employed by
Euripides to effect the denoument of his
pieces. The chorus too no longer discharged
its proper and high functions either as a re-
presentative of the feelings of unprejudiced
observers, or, as one of the actors, and a part
of the whole, joining in the development of
the piece. Many of his choral odes in fact
are but remotely connected in subject with
the action of the play. Another novelty of
Euripides was the use of the monodies or
lyrical songs, in which not the chorus, but