BOOK  IX

THE    THEATRE
CHAPTER  1

THE   OiaGIN    OF   THE   DRAMA

Dramatic  performances  in  ancient  Athens  were  but  a  part  of
the  festivals,  celebrated  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  in  honour
of  Dionysus ;  and  the  origin  of  the  drama  is  to  be  looked  for  in
some  feature  of  the  worship  of  the  god.  There  were  in  that
worship  several  strains  of  different  character,  and  probably  of
different  origin ;  but  when  the  drama  was  at  the  height  of  its
development,  the  predominant  phase  of  Dionysus  was  his
character  as  the  god  of  wine,  and  consequently,  it  is  in  this
feature  of  his  worship  that  the  origin  of  the  drama  has  usually
been  sought.  Thus,  the  choruses  out  of  which  the  drama  un-
doubtedly was  developed,  are  identified  with  the  dithyramb,
or  choral  hymn  in  honour  of  Dionysus,  to  which  Arion,  about
600  B.C.,  gave  literary  form  and  a  place  in  literature.  These
choruses  were  sung  at  the  festival  of  the  Lensea,  to  celebrate  the
gathering  of  the  grapes,  with  rejoicings  similar  to  those  of  a
harvest-home.  The  worshippers  of  the  god  expressed  their
sympathy  with  both  the  joys  and  the  sufferings  of  the  god,
hence  comedy  on  the  one  hand  and  tragedy  on  the  other.
Comedy  derived  its  name  from  the  Kcofios,  or  band  of  vintage
revellers  ;  tragedy  was  called  the  "goat-song  "  (rpayojSta),  because
a  goat  was,  as  the  Parian  Marble  testifies,  the  prize  awarded  to
the  victorious  singers.
