The Tragic Drama of the Greeks

by Arthur Elam Haigh

 

THE TRAGIC DRAMA

OF THE GREEKS

BY

A. E. HAIGH, M.A.

LATE FELLOW OF HERTFORD
CLASSICAL LECTURER AT CORPUS CHRISTI AND WADHAM COLLEGES

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS

OXFORD

AT THE CLARENDON PRESS

MDCCCXCVI

 

 

HENRY FROWDE, M.A.
PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK

 

 

CONTENTS

		PAGE
Chap. I. Early History of Greek Tragedy		1
	§ 1. Introductory	1
	§ 2. The Worship of Dionysus	4
	§ 3. Early History of the Dithyramb	13
	§ 4. Arion and the Dithyramb	16
	§ 5. Later History of the Dithyramb	23
	§ 6. The Innovations of Thespis	26
	§ 7. Character of the Thespian Drama	29
	§ 8. Career of Thespis	36
	§ 9. Chocrilus, Pratinas, and Phrynichus	39
Chap. II. Aeschylus		46
	§ 1. His Life	46
	§ 2. Improvements in Tragedy	60
	(1) The Structure of the Aeschylean Drama	61
	(2) General Tone	65
	(3) The Manner of Representation	67
	§ 3. Selection and Treatment of the Plots	70
	§ 4. The Characters	76
	§ 5. The Language	80
	§ 6. Religious and Moral Ideas	86
	§ 7. The Trilogy and Tetralogy	96
	§ 8. The Extant Plays	99
	(1) The Supplices	101
	(2) The Persae	103
	(3) The Septem	106
	(4) The Prometheus	109
	(5) The Oresteia	114
	§ 9. Reputation among the Ancients	121
Chap. III. Sophocles		126
	§ 1. His Life	126
	§ 2. Improvements in Tragedy	137
	§ 3. Selection and Treatment of Plots	143
	§ 4. The Chorus	151
	§ 5. The Characters	156
	§ 6. The Language	161
	§ 7. Religious and Moral Ideas	168
	§ 8. The Irony of Sophocles	174
	§ 9. The Extant Tragedies	179
	(1) The Antigone	182
	(2) The Ajax	186
	(3) The Trachiniae	188
	(4) The Electra	191
	(5) The Oedipus Rex	192
	(6) The Philoctetes	194
	(7) The Oedipus Coloneus	198
	§ 10. Reputation among the Ancients	200
Chap. IV. Euripides		204
	§ 1. His Life	204
	§ 2. General Characteristics	217
	(1) Innovations in the spirit of Tragedy	218
	(2) Modern Criticisms	226
	(3) Influence of Rhetoric and Philosophy	233
	§ 3. Choice and Structure of Plots	237
	§ 4. Innovations in the Form of Tragedy	245
	§ 5. The Chorus	251
	§ 6. The Language	256
	§ 7. Moral and Religious Ideas	261
	§ 8. Political and Social Opinions	273
	§ 9. The Extant Plays	280
	(1) The Rhesus	284
	(2) The Alcestis	285
	(3) The Medea	289
	(4) The Heracleidae	291
	(5) The Hippolytus	292
	(6) The Hecuba	295
	(7) The Supplices	295
	(8) The Andromache	297
	(9) The Hercules Furens	298
	(10) The Troades	300
	(11) The Electra	301
	(12) The Helena	303
	(13) The Ion	304
	(14) The Iphigeneia in Tauris	305
	(15) The Orestes	309
	(16) The Phoenissae	310
	(17) The Bacchae	311
	(18) The Iphigeneia in Aulide	314
	(19) The Cyclops	316
	§ 10. Reputation in Ancient Times	317
Chap. V. Form and Character of Greek Tragedy		322
	§ 1. General Characteristics	322
	§ 2. The Subjects	328
	§ 3. The Characters	333
	§ 4. Unity of Structure	337
	§ 5. Treatment of the Plot	344
	§ 6. Formal Divisions of Greek Tragedy	348
	(1) The Dialogue	348
	(2) The Lyrics	353
	§ 7. The Language of Greek Tragedy	363
	§ 8. The Versification	370
	§ 9. Symmetry of Form	377
	§ 10. The Satyric Drama	389
	§ 11. The Titles of Greek Tragedies	395
Chap. VI. Later History of Greek Tragedy		403
	§ 1. Introductory	403
	§ 2. Minor Poets of the Fifth Century	405
	(1) Ion	406
	(2) Achaeus	408
	(3) Agathon	409
	(4) Tragedy in Families	412
	(5) Other Tragic Poets	416
	§ 3. Tragedy at Athens in the Fourth Century	419
	(1) Rhetorical Poets	423
	(2) Literary and Philosophical Poets	426
	(3) Tragedy in Families	429
	(4) Dionysius the Tyrant	432
	§ 4. The Extension of Greek Tragedy beyond Athens	434
	§ 5. Tragedy at Alexandria	439
	§ 6. Character of the Post-Alexandrian Tragedy	443
	(1) The Composition of New Tragedies	443
	(2) The Reproduction of Old Tragedies	447
	(3) The Chorus	451
	§ 7. Greek Tragedy in Italy	454
	§ 8. Final Extinction of Greek Tragedy	457
Appendix I		463
Appendix II		473
Index		483
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Early representation of Dionysus		11
Later representation of Dionysus		12
Gem depicting the death of Aeschylus		60
Bust of Aeschylus		60
Statue of Sophocles		137
Bust of Euripides		214

 

 

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