Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 09.djvu/521

LEFT TRAGEDY 459 TRAJAN of events, in the life of some person or persons, in which the diction is elevated, and whidi has generally a tragic or fatal catastrophe; that species of drama which represents a tragical situation or a tragical character. Tragedy originated among the Greeks in the worship of Dionysus. Thespis first introduced dia- logue in the choral odes, and made one entire story occupy the pauses in the chorus. His first representation was in 535 B. c. He was succeeded by Phryni- chus and Chcerilus, and is said to have written 150 pieces, none of which has come down to us. uEschylus (525-456 B. c.) added a second actor, diminished the parts of the chorus, and made the dialogue the principal part of the action. He also introduced scenery, and masks for actors, and is also said to have in- troduced the custom of contending with trilogies, or three plays at a time. In his later years he added a third actor. ARTHUR TRAIN Sophocles (495-405 B. C.) further improv- ed the scenery and costume. In the hands of Euripides (480-405 B. c.) tragedy de- teriorated in dignity; one of his pecu- liarities was the prologue, or introduc- tory monologue, in which some god or hero opens the play, telling who he is, what has already happened, and what is the present state of affairs. He also in- vented tragi-comedy. The first Roman tragic poet was Livius Andronicus, a Greek by birth, who began to exhibit in 240 B. c. He was succeeded by Nsevius (died 204 b. C), and Ennius (239-169 B. C.) The only complete Roman trag- edies tha't have come down to us are the 10 attributed to Seneca (a. d. 2-65). The first English tragedy is "Gorboduc, or Ferrex and Porrex," acted in 1562. See Drama. TRAGOPAN, a name of certain beau- tiful birds of the genus Ceriornis, and of the family Phasianidse, closely allied to the common fowl. C. satyra, a common species, is a native of the Himalayas. The plumage is spotted, and two fleshy protuberances hang from behind the eyes. When the bird is excited it can erect these protuberances till they look like a pair of horns. A large wattle hangs at either side of the lower mandible. TRAILL, HENRY DUFF, an English author; born in Blackheath, England, Aug. 14, 1842; graduated at St. John's, Oxford, in 1864. He was called to the bar in 1868, but soon took to literature. He wrote: "Lives" of Strafford, "Wil- liam III.," "Sterne," "Coleridge," and others; also "Central Government" (1881); "Recaptured Rhymes" (1882); "The New Lucian" (1884) ; "Two Proper Prides"; "From Cairo to the Sudan Fron- tier"; "Lord Cromer"; "The New Fic- tion"; etc. He edited "Social England: A Record of the Progress of the People," in six large volumes, and in 1897 was made editor of the weekly review, "Liter- ature." He died in 1900. TRAIN, ARTHUR (CHENEY), an American author and lawyer; born in Boston, 1875. After studying law he was admitted to the bar of Massachusetts and New York. In 1901 he became as- sistant district attorney for New York CO. In 1910 he was appointed special deputy attorney-general of the State of New York to investigate and prosecute political offenders in Queens co. Among his works are: "McAllister and His Double" (1905); "The Prisoner at the Bar" (1906); "True Stories of Crime" (1908); "The Goldfish" (1914); "The World and Thomas Kelly" (1917) ; and "The Earthquake" (1918). TRAJAN, in full, MARCUS ULPIUS TRAJANUS, Roman emperor; born in Spain, A. D. 52; the son of Trajanus, a distinguished Roman commander under Vespasian. He served against the Par- thians and on the Rhine, where he ac- quired so high a character that Nerva adopted him and created him Cassar in 97. Nerva died in 98, and Trajan, who was then in Germany, peaceably suc- ceeded to the throne. One of his greatest military achievements was his defeat of the Dacians, and the reduction of Dacia