Page:History of the Literature of Ancient Greece (Müller) 2ed.djvu/405

383 LITERATURE OF ANCIENT GREECE. 383 Aristarchus, of Tegea, came forward in Olymp. Si. 2. b. c. 454, and, as we have mentioned above,* was the first to produce tragedies according to the standard of greater length, which was subsequently observed by Sophocles and Euripides. Some of his tragedies, espe- cially the Achilles, gained some reputation at a later period, from being imitated by Ennius. Ach^eus, of Eretria, brought out many dramas at Athens after Olymp. S3, but only once obtained the prize. A sort of artificial man- ner was peculiar to him ; the fragments of his dramasf contain much strange mythology, and we learn that his expressions were often forced and obscure. Nevertheless, with such peculiarities he may easily have merited the favourable opinion of some ancient critics, who considered him the best writer of satyric dramas next to /Eschylus. In construct- ing such dramas he could hardly have avoided making some strange combinations and indulging in some far-fetched witticisms. Carcinus, with his sons, forms a family of tragedians, known to us chiefly from the jokes and mockeries of Aristophanes. The father was a tragedian, and the sons appeared as choral-dancers in his plays; only one of them, Xenocles, also devoted himself to the profession of poetry. As far as we can judge from a few hints, both father and son were distinguished by a sort of antiquated harshness in their mode of expression. Yet Xenocles, with his tragic trilogy, GUdipus, Lycaon, Bacchce, and the satyrical drama Athamas, gained the prize over the trilogy of Euripides to which the Troades belonged. From the Athenian Carcinus we must distinguish a later tragedian of the same name, who was of Agrigentum. § 3. Agathon was a very singular character. He came before the public with his first tragedy in Olymp. 90. 4. b. c. 416, when he was still a young man, and spent his riper years at the court of Archelaus, King of Macedon, where he died about Olymp. 94. 4. b. c. 400. His strange demeanour and habits have enabled Aristophanes (especially hi the Thesmophoriazusee) and Plato (in the Symposium) lo give us some sketches of him, which bring the man before our eyes in the most vivid and striking manner. Naturally delicate and effeminate, as well in body as in mind, he gave himself up entirely to this mood, and coquetted with a sort of grace and charm with which he endeavoured to invest everything that he took in hand. The lyrical part of his tragedies was an amiable and insinuating display, of cheerful thoughts and kindly images, but did not penetrate deeply into the feelings. In accordance with these views, Agathon had devoted himself to the new arts, by which the sophists of the time, and especially Gorgias, had produced f Acha;i Eretriensis fragmenta cullogit Urlichs. Bonn. 1834.
 * Chap. XXI. § 4.