ποητής Σατύρων Αμινίας Δημοκλέους Θηβαῖος, Δωρόθεος Δωροθέου Ταραντίνος, Σοφοκλῆς Σοφοκλέους ̓Αθηναῖος, Καβίριχος Θεοδώρου Θηβαῖος, ̓Αλέξανδρος Αριστίωνος ̓Αθηναῖος, Ατταλος Αττάλου Αθηναῖος. Οἴτε ἐνίκων τὸν νεμητὸν ἀγῶνα των Ομολωΐων Διοκλῆς Καλλιμήλου Θηβαῖος, παῖδας ἡγεμόνας Στρατῖνος Εὐνίκου Θηβαῖος, άνδρας αυλητάς Διοκλής Καλλιμήλου Θηβαῖος, ἄνδρας ἡγεμόνας Ρόδιππος Ροδίππου ̓Αργεῖος, Ιπποκράτης ̓Αριστομένους Ρόδιος, κωμωδός Καλλίστρατος Εξακέστου Θηβαῖος, These two inscriptions were formerly in a chapel of the Virgin at Orchomenus in Boeotia. The stones are now removed. The first inscription is written in Boeotic, and is supposed by Böckh to be of older date than Olymp. 145. (B. C. 220.) To the foregoing inscriptions we will add a third; a Thespian inscription, graved in the later age of the Roman emperors, which relates to the same subject; and then give the inferences which Böckh has drawn from these three interesting Agonistic monuments. 1585. ̓Αγαθῇ τύχῃ Ἐνείκων ἐπὶ Φλαουίῳ Παυλείνῳ ἀγωνοθετοῦντι Μου ποιητὴς προσοδίου Εὐμάρων ̓Αλεξάνδρου Θεσπιεὺς Πομπήϊος Ζωσίμου Θεσπιεύς, Ζώσιμος Επίκτου Θηβαῖος, ἐγκωμιογράφος εἰς τὸν Αὐτοκράτορα Πούπλιος Αντώνιος Μάξιμος Νε[ω]κορείτης, Πούπλιος Αντώνιος Μάξιμος Νε[ω]κορείτης, Αιμίλιος Ἐπίκτητος Κορίνθιος, ποίημα εἰς τὰς Μούσας Δαμόνεικος Δάμωνος Θεσπιεύς, Ευτυχιανὸς Κορίνθιος, πυθαύλας THESE Inscriptions were first printed by Böckh at the end of his treatise on the Public Economy of Athens; we subjoin some of the remarks which he there makes upon them, (Iter Band, p. 361. fol.). Haud dubie formulæ sententia est, hunc inter omnes victores esse præstantissimum judicatum, victorem inter victores; unde ultimo loco scriptus est.-Böckh in loc. "Before I leave these two Inscriptions, I may be permitted to make a few remarks on the games mentioned in them. We find in both, first of all, trumpeters and a herald, who began the games: their art was doubtless an object of contest in most sacred games, and the heralds in particular contended with one another in the gymnic games (Cicero, Fam. v. 12): which may perhaps have been the principal reason why the ancients had trumpeters and heralds, whom no one of the present day could have matched in strength of voice. Comp. Pollux iv. 86-92. Athen. x. p. 415. F. seqq. Elian v. H. I. 26. These are followed by the Epic poet, together with the Rhapsodist who recited his poem: then we have the flute-player and harper with the persons who sang to these instruments respectively. Next come, in both Inscriptions, Tragedians and Comedians. At the new Charitesia, however, three additional dramatic games are mentioned ; ποιητὴς Σατύρων and ὑποκριτής, ποιητὴς τραγῳδιῶν and ὑποκριτής, ποιητὴς κωμῳδιῶν and ὑποκριτής. At the Homoloïa in the second Inscription, Tragedians and Comedians occur, and for the celebration of the victory (TÚ ÉTIVikia) another Comedy, but without actors. It is sufficiently clear from this, that when merely Tragedians and Comedians are mentioned, without actors, as is so often the case in authors, and Inscriptions, we are not to understand a Play, but only a song: if, however, a Play is to be signified, this must first be determined by some particular addition. As soon as an actor (VTоKρITYS) is mentioned, we understand by Tragedy and Comedy a dramatic entertainment. For a long time Tragedians and Comedians alone appeared in the Charitesia at Orchomenus, and it is only in later times that we find there all the three kinds of dramatic representations, when the theatre of Athens had extended its influence on all sides; nevertheless, even then the tragie and comic poets are Athenians, and only the satyrical poet a Theban. But Tragedians and Comedians, as lyric bards, were to be found everywhere from the most ancient times. This has not been properly attended to, and many passages in ancient writers have consequently been considered as enigmatical or suspicious. In the list of Pindar's Works, given by Suidas, we have seventeen Spáμata Tрayıά; I have no doubt that Pindar wrote Tragedies, but they were lyric poems, and not Dramas: with this remark, we recognize at once what is true or false in this account. Simonides of Ceos is said by the Scholiast on Aristophanes, by Suidas, and Eudocia, to have written Tragedies, which Van Goens (p. 51.) doubts: but what objection can be raised to this statement, if we only understand in it lyrical and not dramatic Tragedies? Whether the Tragedies of the younger Empedocles (see Suidas in 'Eumecokλns comp. Sturz Empedocl. p. 86, seqq. where however there are all sorts of errors) were just such Dorian lyric Tragedies, or real dramatic exhibitions, I leave undecided. Arion seems to have been considered as the inventor of this lyric goat-song, since the introduction of the tragic manner (7payukos Tрómos) is ascribed to this Dithyrambic poet, although he is said to have added satyrs to the chorus as acting persons. (Comp. Fabric. B. Gr. Vol. II. p. 286. Harles' edition). It is admitted that the Drama grew out of a lyric entertainment, and was formed from the chorus: but it is not so generally known that among the Dorians and Eolians a lyric Tragedy and Comedy existed before, and along with the dramatic, as a distinct species, but people usually referred merely to the rude lyrical beginnings in the Festal games. Thus Tragedies before the time of Thespis, remained a thorn in the eyes of critics, which it was needful to have taken out: and Bentley's services (Opusc. p. 276.) in this respect have been very highly estimated. But let not us be deceived by it. The Peloponnesians justly claimed Tragedy as their property: (Aristot. Poet. 3.) its invention and completion as a lyrical entertainment belongs undoubtedly to the Sicyonians, whose Tragedies are mentioned by Herodotus: (v. 67. comp. Themist. xix. p. 487.) on which account the invention of Comedy also is sometimes attributed to the Sicyonians; (Orest. Anthol. Part 11. p. 328. 326.), and Thespis may very well have been the sixteenth from the lyric Tragedian Epigenes. (Suidas in Θέσπις and οὐδὲν πρὸς Διόνυσον, comp. Phot. and Mich. Apostol. in ovcev pos JóvTov). Aristocles, in his book about the choruses, said very well (Athen. xiv. 630. C.) Συνεστήκει δὲ καὶ σατυρικὴ πᾶσα ποίησις τοπαλαιὸν ἐκ χορῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡ τότε τραγωδία δίσπερ οὐδὲ ὑποκριτὰς εἶχον. Just so Diogenes (iii. 56.) relates, certainly not out of his own learning, that before Thespis the chorus alone played in Tragedy (deepauarie). This Tragedy, consisting of chorus |