VII. I. 3. WHETHER THE POET TEACHES CHARACTER Of well-governed conduct there is, as it were, a definite form, which the philosophers call right reason. Is there any form of evil conduct? No, there is not. But in the absence of such form we are either bad or else indifferent. What then does the poet teach? Does he teach actions, which arise from mental states or dispositions, the dialéσes of the Greeks? Or does he teach us how to become such men that the faculty of doing good is potent, and the principle of avoiding evil conduct is implanted? Aristotle ruled that since poetry is comparable to that civic institution which leads us to happiness, happiness being nothing other than perfect action, the poet does not lead us to imitate character, but action. Surely he is right; we agree perfectly. But what he adds offers a little more difficulty. He says that there cannot be a tragedy without action, though there may be one without disposition. Under the circumstances, I would here translate os by 'character,' for he says that the tragic poets of his day usually constructed plots that lacked delineation of character. Thus Zeuxis the painter gave no expression of character in his work, and Polygnotus excelled in character-drawing. But if now 0os means 'an inclination to a certain course of action,' and this is excluded from tragedy, the action will be altogether fortuitous, and wholly dependent on chance. To illustrate: Orestes once committed murder by slaying his mother. Yet here there is no ques On tion of character, for it was not a characteristic action. the other hand, Aegisthus was a murderer in character, and so were Polymnestor, Pylades, Euclio, Pseudolus, Ballio, ! and Davus. So our inquiry is not as to whether the poet If any one thinks that our distinctions are more subtle than the subject warrants, he need not take it to heart; he will find it very easy to leave the whole matter alone. Aristotle was also illogical in attributing to tragedy alone that which was the common property of poetry, just as when he formulated metrical laws from words and the parts of words, and afterwards ignored those very laws themselves. ļ INDEX [c. is the abbreviation for cited, q. for quoted.] Accius, c., by Horace, 44. Achaeus, said to have mingled satyrs with heroes in tragedy, 49. Acumen (acutum), in style, 70. Adonima, form of pastoral, 32. Adonis, story of, 32. Aelian, c., 16, 30. Aeschylus, inspired by wine, 15; method of, in dealing with history, Aiyoróka, form of pastoral, 23. Airbla, form of pastoral, 23. Alovura, duties of, 66-67. Alcaeus, inspired by wine, 15. Alcman, inspired by wine, 15. Alexamenes, said to be inventor of dialogue, 19. Alexis, c., 35; poet of Old Comedy, 44. Ambraciota, poet of Middle Comedy, 44. 'Aμeißeobal, meaning of, 22. Ameipsas, Aristophanes ridiculed by, 45. Amphion, religious poet, 16. Anaxilas, poet of Middle Comedy, 44. Andronicus, Livius, date of, 17; poet of Old Latin Comedy, 45; 'Aoidá, the Muse Пonтá so called by some, 10; threefold classification 'AπodiηYNμATIKós, mode of poetry, 19. Apollo, originator of poetry, 15. Apollodorus, plays of, reworked by Plautus, 46; probably tame, 66. Archippus, poet of Old Comedy, 44. Aristonymus, Aristophanes ridiculed by, 45. Aristophanes, inspired by wine, 15; Acharnians of, c., 39, 67; The Aristotle, q., 13; on inspiration, 14; on poets and versifiers, 17; c., Arts, kinds of, 4. Atellana, form of Latin comedy, 47; discussed, 47. Bacchus, worshiped in pastorals, 30. Ballio, possible etymology of, 35. Borcos, or Bormus, story of, 31-32. BOUKOλiaσTai, practices of, 27. Brass, early accounted one of the elements in doidá, 10. Bucolic, origin of, claimed by Sicilians, 33. BUKOMIKά, form of pastoral, 23. Bwкoλiaoμós, form of pastoral, 26. Callias, Grammar of, described, 49. Caryatis, significance of, as a surname of Diana, 24. Ceres, worshiped in pastorals, 31. Chaldeans, records of, how transmitted, 12. Chapters, poetry to be divided into, 55. Character, whether the poet teaches action or, 82-83. Chionides, 33. Chorus, function of, in Old Comedy, 43; succeeded by parabasis in Middle Comedy, 44; nature and technique of, discussed, 62–65. Chytra, satiric subjects presented at festival of, 49. Cicero, c., 5, 10, 22; q., 58, 69; why esteemed to-day, 69. Coena, etymology of, 34. Comedy, relative excellence of, 20; sprang from pastoral poetry, Comessationes, explained, 34. INDEX [c. is the abbreviation for cited, q. for quoted.] Accius, c., by Horace, 44. Achaeus, said to have mingled satyrs with heroes in tragedy, 49. Acumen (acutum), in style, 70. Adonima, form of pastoral, 32. Adonis, story of, 32. Aelian, c., 16, 30. Aeschylus, inspired by wine, 15; method of, in dealing with history, Aiyoróλia, form of pastoral, 23. Airbλia, form of pastoral, 23. Alcaeus, inspired by wine, 15. Alcman, inspired by wine, 15. Alexamenes, said to be inventor of dialogue, 19. Alexis, c., 35; poet of Old Comedy, 44. Ambraciota, poet of Middle Comedy, 44. 'Aμelßeolaι, meaning of, 22. Ameipsas, Aristophanes ridiculed by, 45. Amphion, religious poet, 16. Anaxilas, poet of Middle Comedy, 44. Andronicus, Livius, date of, 17; poet of Old Latin Comedy, 45; character of plays of, 45. 'Aoidά, the Muse Пonτá so called by some, 10; threefold classification 'AπodinnμATIKós, mode of poetry, 19. Apollo, originator of poetry, 15. Apollodorus, plays of, reworked by Plautus, 46; probably tame, 66. Archippus, poet of Old Comedy, 44. Aristonymus, Aristophanes ridiculed by, 45. Aristophanes, inspired by wine, 15; Acharnians of, c., 39, 67; The |