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The New International Encyclopædia/Thespis

From Wikisource

Edition of 1905. See also Thespis on Wikipedia; and the disclaimer.

THES′PIS (Lat., from Gk. Θέσπις. A native of the Attic deme of Icarus in the sixth century B.C., called the father of Greek tragedy. He introduced an actor to reply to the leader of the chorus, who before had recited the adventures of Dionysus and had been answered by the chorus, and thus made an important step toward the drama.