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piece to relieve the minds of the spectators。
The subjects of Greek tragedy were taken； with few exceptions； from the national mythology。 Hence the plot and story were of necessity known to the spectators； a circumstance which strongly distinguished the ancient tragedy from the modern。 It must also be recollected that the representation of tragedies did not take place every day； but only； after certain fixed intervals； at the festivals of Dionysus； of which they formed one of the greatest attractions。 During the whole day the Athenian public sat in the theatre witnessing tragedy after tragedy； and a prize was awarded by judges appointed for the purpose to the poet who produced the best set of dramas。
Such was Attic tragedy when it came into the hands of AESCHYLUS； who； from the great improvements which he introduced； was regarded by the Athenians as its father or founder； just as Homer was of Epic poetry； and Herodotus of History。 AEschylus was born at Eleusis in Attica in B。C。 525； and was thus contemporary with Simonides and Pindar。 He fought with his brother Cynaegirus at the battle of Marathon； and also at those of Artemisium； Salamis； and Plataea。 In B。C。 484 he gained his first tragic prize。 In 468 he was defeated in a tragic contest by his younger rival Sophocles； shortly afterwards he retired to the court of king Hiero； at Syracuse； He died at Gela； in Sicily； in 456； in the 69th year of his age。 It is unanimously related that an eagle； mistaking the poet's bald head for a stone； let a tortoise fall upon it in order to break the shell； thus fulfilling an oracle predicting that he was to die by a blow from heaven。 The improvements introduced into tragedy by AEschylus concerned both its form and composition； and its manner of representation。 In the former his principal innovation was the introduction of a second actor； whence arose the dialogue； properly so called； and the limitation of the choral parts； which now became subsidiary。 His improvements in the manner of representing tragedy consisted in the introduction of painted scenes； drawn according to the rules of perspective。 He furnished the actors with more appropriate and more magnificent dresses； invented for them more various and expressive masks； and raised their stature to the heroic size by providing them with thick…soled cothurni or buskins。 AEschylus excels in representing the superhuman； in depicting demigods and heroes； and in tracing the irresistible march of fate。 His style resembles the ideas which it clothes： it is bold； sublime； and full of gorgeous imagery； but sometimes borders on the turgid。
SOPHOCLES； the younger rival and immediate successor of Aeschylus in the tragic art； was born at Colonus； a village about a mile from Athens； in B。C。 495。 We have already adverted to his wresting the tragic prize from AEschylus in 468； from which time he seems to have retained the almost undisputed possession of the Athenian stage； until a young but formidable rival arose in the person of Euripides。 The close of his life was troubled with family dissensions。 Iophon； his son by an Athenian wife； and therefore his legitimate heir； was jealous of the affection manifested by his father for his grandson Sophocles； the offspring of another son； Ariston； whom he had had by a Sicyonian woman。 Fearing lest his father should bestow a great part of his property upon his favourite； Iophon summoned him before the Phratores； or tribesmen； on the ground that his mind was affected。 The old man's only reply was〃If I am Sophocles I am not beside myself； and if I am beside myself I am not Sophocles。〃 Then taking up his OEDIPUS AT COLONUS； which he had lately written； but had not yet brought out； he read from it a beautiful passage； with which the judges were so struck that they at once dismissed the case。 He died shortly afterwards； in B。C。 406； in his 90th year。 As a poet Sophocles is universally allowed to have brought the drama to the greatest perfection of which it is susceptible。 His plays stand in the just medium between the sublime but unregulated flights of AEschylus； and the too familiar scenes and rhetorical declamations of Euripides。 His plots are worked up with more skill and care than the plots of either of his great rivals。 Sophocles added the last improvement to the form of the drama by the introduction of a third actor； a change which greatly enlarged the scope of the action。 The improvement was so obvious that it was adopted by AEschylus in his later plays； but the number of three actors seems to have been seldom or never exceeded。
EURIPIDES was born in the island of Salamis； in B。C。 480 his parents having been among those who fled thither at the time of the invasion of Attics by Xerxes。 He studied rhetoric under Prodicus； and physics under Anaxagoras and he also lived on intimate terms with Socrates。 In 441 he gained his first prize； and he continued to exhibit plays until 408； the date of his Orestes。 Soon after this he repaired to the court of Macedonia； at the invitation of king Archelaus； where he died two years afterwards at the age of 74 （B。C。 406）。 Common report relates that he was torn to pieces by the king's dogs； which； according to some accounts； were set upon him by two rival poets out of envy。 In treating his characters and subjects Euripides often arbitrarily departed from the received legends； and diminished the dignity of tragedy by depriving it of its ideal character； and by bringing it down to the level of every…day life。 His dialogue was garrulous and colloquial； wanting in heroic dignity； and frequently frigid through misplaced philosophical disquisitions。 Yet in spite of all these faults Euripides has many beauties； and is particularly remarkable for pathos； so that Aristotle calls him 〃the most tragic of poets。〃
Comedy received its full development at Athens from Cratinus； who lived in the age of Pericles。 Cratinus； and his younger contemporaries Eupolis and Aristophanes； were the three great poets of what is called the Old Attic Comedy。 The comedies of Cratinus and Eupolis are lost； but of Aristophanes； who was the greatest of the three； we have eleven dramas extant。 ARISTOPHANES was born about 444 B。C。 Of his private life we know positively nothing。 He exhibited his first comedy in 427； and from that time till near his death； which probably happened about 380； he was a frequent contributor to the Attic stage。 The OLD ATTIC COMEDY was a powerful vehicle for the expression of opinion； and most of the comedies of Aristophanes turned either upon political occurrences； or upon some subject which excited the interest of the Athenian public。 Their chief object was to excite laughter by the boldest and most ludicrous caricature； and provided that end was attained the poet seems to have cared but little about the justice of the picture。 Towards the end of the career of Aristophanes the unrestricted licence and libellous personality of comedy began gradually to disappear。 The chorus was first curtailed and then entirely suppressed； and thus made way for what is called the Middle Comedy； which had no chorus at all。 The latter still continued to be in some degree political； but persons were no longer introduced upon the stage under their real names； and the office of the chorus was very much curtailed。 It was； in fact； the connecting link between the Old Comedy and the New； or the Comedy of Manners。 The NEW COMEDY arose after Athens had become subject to the Macedonians。 Politics were now excluded from the stage； and the materials of the dramatic poet were derived entirely from the fictitious adventures of persons in private life。 The two most distinguished writers of this school were PHILEMON and MENANDER。 Philemon was probably born about the year 360 B。C。； and was either a Cilician or Syracusan； but came at an early age to Athens。 He is considered as the founder of the New Comedy； which was soon afterwards brought to perfection by his younger contemporary Menander。 The latter was an Athenian； and was born in B。C。 312。 He was drowned at the age of 52； whilst swimming in the harbour of Piraeus。 He wrote upwards of 100 comedies； of which only fragments remain； and the unanimous praise of posterity