Page:The Tragic Drama of the Greeks (1896).djvu/35

 I.] ARIOX AXD THE DmiYRAMB. 21 been suggested by the orgiastic worship of Dionysus, as per- formed by ecstatic Maenads at Thebes and Delphi, where the dominant note, undoubtedly^ was one of agonised sympathy with the sufferings of the god. It is manifestly inappropriate, as applied to a chorus of satyrs, in whom enthusiastic self- devotion was the last thing to be expected. The testimony of Aristotle is decisive on this subject. He tells us that the solemnity of tragedy was a later development, and that the earlier performances were 'satyric' in tone, and characterised by comic diction, spriglitly metres, and pantomimic gesture ', In the face of these statements it is impossible to describe the early dithyramb as a sad and melancholy composition. At the same time it is unnecessary to push the evidence of Aristotle too far. The dithyramb, it is true, was the offspring of wine and merriment at the rustic festivals of Dionysus, and its prevalent sentiment was one of joyfulness and gaiety -'. But, like most Dionysiac poetry and music, it may have been susceptible of a great variety of emotion In fact, the later satyric drama, which was said to reflect the tone of the old choruses of satyrs, was never a merely comic performance, but always contained a certain tinge of poetry and romance*. Probably, therefore, we shall not be far wrong in attributing the same versatility to the dithyramb, and in assuming that coarse jests and raillery alternated with more serious passions, according to the varying phases of the legend which was being represented. From poetry of this composite character the tragic drama might easily be developed, by the suppression of the one element, and the elevation of the other. It was apparently about this time thtit the w(jrds 'tragic ' and ' Aristot. I'oct. C. 4 iri hi rd ^li- vaiSia; Koi r^t Iv roi's wuToit tvippoaivrji y*$os iK fUKpwy fivOaiy ttal Ki(*ais yi- tlpfOrjftu. olat tii ri in aarvpiKov fura^aXtiv ' Sec above, p. 7. bifii uf*a*fiv{iv9rf. . . T<i filv yiip * Ilor. Ars Poet. 22o-i50 ; especially mpS/rov Ttrpafiirp^ ixpwyro iid rd aarv- 244-347' silviiideiliicti cavcant iiic iiidicc ptKijy Koi itpx^ariKonipay tlvai rfjy Fauni ] nc vtlut iiinati triviis ac pacnc woljjoiy. forcnsts | aut nimium teneris iuvenciitur ' I'rocluK, (hrcst. c. 14 «oi«f ii 6 ftiv versihus unuam, | aut iminanda crepent Mvf.atttios dnd tQ: itara Toin iypoi/t igiiominiosai^uc dicta.'