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as far as regards the time of the performance and the spectators, it has no relation to the poetic art. If, indeed, an hundred tragedies were to be acted successively, they must be acted by the hourglass

Poetics. Aristotle. ed. Henry James Pye. London. 1792.

Current edition Experimental

The Poetic of Aristotle (Henry James Pye, revised 1792) (OCR draft) (English) (Henry James Pye's revised 1792 English translation, corrected against the 1788 first edition, aligned to the Kassel reference edition, and supplied with a selective apparatus of substantive 1788 readings.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (4)

Περὶ ποιητικῆς (OCR draft) (Aristotle, Poetics. Immanuel Bekker, editor, Aristotelis Opera, volume 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1837.) — 7 focus

Διωρισμένων δὲ τούτων, λέγωμεν μετὰ ταῦτα ποίαν τινὰ δεῖ τὴν σύστασιν εἶναι τῶν πραγμάτων, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο καὶ πρῶτον καὶ μέγιστον τῆς τραγῳδίας ἐστίν.

Κεῖται δ᾿ ἡμῖν τὴν τραγῳδίαν τελείας καὶ ὅλης πράξεως εἶναι μίμησιν, ἐχούσης τι μέγεθος· ἔστι γὰρ ὅλον καὶ μηδὲν ἔχον μέγεθος.

Ὅλον δ᾿ ἐστὶ τὸ ἔχον ἀρχὴν καὶ μέσον καὶ τελευτήν.

Ἀρχὴ δ᾿ ἐστὶν ὃ αὐτὸ μὲν μὴ ἐξ ἀνάγκης μετ᾿ ἄλλο ἐστί, μετ᾿ ἐκεῖνο δ᾿ ἕτερον πέφυκεν εἶναι ἢ γίνεσθαι·

τελευτὴ δὲ τοὐναντίον ὃ αὐτὸ μετ᾿ ἄλλο πέφυκεν εἶναι, ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἢ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ, μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο ἄλλο οὐδέν·

μέσον δὲ ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ μετ᾿ ἄλλο καὶ μετ᾿ ἐκεῖνο ἕτερον.

Δεῖ ἄρα τοὺς συνεστῶτας εὖ μύθους μήθ᾿ ὁπόθεν ἔτυχεν ἄρχεσθαι μήθ᾿ ὅπου ἔτυχε τελευτᾶν, ἀλλὰ κεχρῆσθαι ταῖς εἰρημέναις ἰδέαις.

Ἔτι δ᾿ ἐπεὶ τὸ καλὸν καὶ ζῷον καὶ ἅπαν πρᾶγμα ὃ συνέστηκεν ἔκ τινων, οὐ μόνον ταῦτα τεταγμένα δεῖ ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέγεθος ὑπάρχειν μὴ τὸ τυχόν· τὸ γὰρ καλὸν ἐν μεγέθει καὶ τάξει ἐστί,

διὸ οὔτε πάμμικρον ἄν τι γένοιτο καλὸν ζῷον (συγχεῖται γὰρ ἡ θεωρία ἐγγὺς τοῦ ἀναισθήτου χρόνου γινομένη) οὔτε παμμέγεθες· οὐ γὰρ ἅμα ἡ θεωρία γίνεται, ἀλλ᾿ οἴχεται τοῖς θεωροῦσι τὸ ἓν καὶ τὸ ὅλον ἐκ τῆς θεωρίας, οἷον εἰ μυρίων σταδίων εἴη ζῷον.

Ὥστε δεῖ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν σωμάτων καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ζῴων ἔχειν μὲν μέγεθος, τοῦτο δὲ εὐσύνοπτον εἶναι, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μύθων ἔχειν μὲν μῆκος, τοῦτο δ᾿ εὐμνημόνευτον εἶναι.

Τοῦ δὲ μήκους ὅρος πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγῶνας καὶ τὴν αἴσθησιν οὐ τῆς τέχνης ἐστίν· εἰ γὰρ ἔδει ἑκατὸν τραγῳδίας ἀγωνίζεσθαι, πρὸς κλεψύδραν ἂν ἠγωνίζοντο, ὥσπερ ποτὲ καὶ ἄλλοτε φασίν.

Ὁ δὲ κατ᾿ αὐτὴν τὴν φύσιν τοῦ πράγματος ὅρος, ἀεὶ μὲν ὁ μείζων μέχρι τοῦ σύνδηλος εἶναι καλλίων ἐστὶ κατὰ τὸ μέγεθος, ὡς δὲ ἁπλῶς διορίσαντας εἰπεῖν, ἐν ὅσῳ μεγέθει κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἢ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ἐφεξῆς γιγνομένων συμβαίνει εἰς εὐτυχίαν ἐκ δυστυχίας ἢ ἐξ εὐτυχίας εἰς δυστυχίαν μεταβάλλειν, ἱκανὸς ὅρος ἐστὶ τοῦ μεγέθους.

Περὶ ποιητικῆς (OCR draft) Perseus (Aristotle, De arte poetica liber. Rudolf Kassel, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1965. Reference edition for passage alignment.) — 7 focus

διωρισμένων δὲ τούτων, λέγωμεν μετὰ ταῦτα ποίαν τινὰ δεῖ τὴν σύστασιν εἶναι τῶν πραγμάτων, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο καὶ πρῶτον καὶ μέγιστον τῆς τραγῳδίας ἐστίν.

κεῖται δὴ ἡμῖν τὴν τραγῳδίαν τελείας καὶ ὅλης πράξεως εἶναι 25 μίμησιν ἐχούσης τι μέγεθος· ἔστιν γὰρ ὅλον καὶ μηδὲν ἔχον μέγεθος.

ὅλον δέ ἐστιν τὸ ἔχον ἀρχὴν καὶ μέσον καὶ τελευτήν.

ἀρχὴ δέ ἐστιν ὃ αὐτὸ μὲν μὴ ἐξ ἀνάγκης μετ’ ἄλλο ἐστίν, μετ’ ἐκεῖνο δ’ ἕτερον πέφυκεν εἶναι ἢ γίνεσθαι·

τελευτὴ δὲ τοὐναντίον ὃ αὐτὸ μὲν μετ’ ἄλλο πέφυκεν εἶναι ἢ 30 ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἢ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ, μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο ἄλλο οὐδέν·

μέσον δὲ ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ μετ’ ἄλλο καὶ μετ’ ἐκεῖνο ἕτερον.

δεῖ ἄρα τοὺς συνεστῶτας εὖ μύθους μήθ’ ὁπόθεν ἔτυχεν ἄρχεσθαι μήθ’ ὅπου ἔτυχε τελευτᾶν, ἀλλὰ κεχρῆσθαι ταῖς εἰρημέναις ἰδέαις.

ἔτι δ’ ἐπεὶ τὸ καλὸν καὶ ζῷον καὶ ἅπαν 35 πρᾶγμα ὃ συνέστηκεν ἐκ τινῶν οὐ μόνον ταῦτα τεταγμένα δεῖ ἔχειν ἀλλὰ καὶ μέγεθος ὑπάρχειν μὴ τὸ τυχόν· τὸ γὰρ καλὸν ἐν μεγέθει καὶ τάξει ἐστίν,

διὸ οὔτε πάμμικρον ἄν τι γένοιτο καλὸν ζῷον (συγχεῖται γὰρ ἡ θεωρία ἐγγὺς τοῦ ἀναισθήτου χρόνου γινομένη) οὔτε παμμέγεθες (οὐ γὰρ 1451a 1 ἅμα ἡ θεωρία γίνεται ἀλλ’ οἴχεται τοῖς θεωροῦσι τὸ ἓν καὶ τὸ ὅλον ἐκ τῆς θεωρίας) οἷον εἰ μυρίων σταδίων εἴη ζῷον·

ὥστε δεῖ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν σωμάτων καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ζῴων ἔχειν μὲν μέγεθος, τοῦτο δὲ εὐσύνοπτον εἶναι, οὕτω 5 καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μύθων ἔχειν μὲν μῆκος, τοῦτο δὲ εὐμνημόνευτον εἶναι.

τοῦ δὲ μήκους ὅρος ὁ μὲν πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας καὶ τὴν αἴσθησιν οὐ τῆς τέχνης ἐστίν· εἰ γὰρ ἔδει ἑκατὸν τραγῳδίας ἀγωνίζεσθαι, πρὸς κλεψύδρας ἂν ἠγωνίζοντο, † ὥσπερ ποτὲ καὶ ἄλλοτέ φασιν † .

ὁ δὲ κατ’ αὐτὴν τὴν φύσιν 10 τοῦ πράγματος ὅρος, ἀεὶ μὲν ὁ μείζων μέχρι τοῦ σύνδηλος εἶναι καλλίων ἐστὶ κατὰ τὸ μέγεθος· ὡς δὲ ἁπλῶς διορίσαντας εἰπεῖν, ἐν ὅσῳ μεγέθει κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἢ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ἐφεξῆς γιγνομένων συμβαίνει εἰς εὐτυχίαν ἐκ δυστυχίας ἢ ἐξ εὐτυχίας εἰς δυστυχίαν μεταβάλλειν, ἱκανὸς 15 ὅρος ἐστὶν τοῦ μεγέθους.

Poetics, Greek text (Ingram Bywater, 1909) (OCR draft) Experimental (Ingram Bywater's Greek text of Aristotle's Poetics, published in 1909.) — 7 focus

Διωρισμένων δὲ τούτων, λέγωμεν μετὰ ταῦτα ποίαν
τινὰ δεῖ τὴν σύστασιν εἶναι τῶν πραγμάτων, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο
καὶ πρῶτον καὶ μέγιστον τῆς τραγῳδίας ἐστίν.

κεῖται δὴ
ἡμῖν τὴν τραγῳδίαν τελείας καὶ ὅλης πράξεως εἶναι μίμησιν
ἐχούσης τι μέγεθος· ἔστιν γὰρ ὅλον καὶ μηδὲν ἔχον
μέγεθος.

ὅλον δὲ ἐστὶν τὸ ἔχον ἀρχὴν καὶ μέσον καὶ τελευτήν.

ἀρχὴ δὲ ἐστιν ὃ αὐτὸ μὲν μὴ ἐξ ἀνάγκης μετ᾽
ἄλλο ἐστίν, μετ᾽ ἐκεῖνο δ᾽ ἕτερον πέφυκεν εἶναι ἢ γίνεσθαι·

τελευτὴ δὲ τοὐναντίον ὃ αὐτὸ μετ᾽ ἄλλο πέφυκεν εἶναι ἢ
ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἢ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ, μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο ἄλλο οὐδέν·

μέσον δὲ ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ μετ᾽ ἄλλο καὶ μετ᾽ ἐκεῖνο ἕτερον.

δεῖ ἄρα τοὺς συνεστῶτας εὖ μύθους μήθ᾽ ὁπόθεν ἔτυχεν
ἄρχεσθαι μήθ᾽ ὅπου ἔτυχε τελευτᾶν, ἀλλὰ κεχρῆσθαι ταῖς
εἰρημέναις ἰδέαις.

ἔτι δ᾽ ἐπεὶ τὸ καλὸν καὶ ζῷον καὶ ἅπαν
πρᾶγμα ὃ συνέστηκεν ἐκ τινῶν οὐ μόνον ταῦτα τεταγμένα
δεῖ ἔχειν ἀλλὰ καὶ μέγεθος ὑπάρχειν μὴ τὸ τυχόν· τὸ
γὰρ καλὸν ἐν μεγέθει καὶ τάξει ἐστίν,

διὸ οὔτε πάμμικρον
ἄν τι γένοιτο καλὸν ζῷον (συγχεῖται γὰρ ἡ θεωρία ἐγγὺς
τοῦ ἀναισθήτου χρόνου γινομένη) οὔτε παμμέγεθες (οὐ γὰρ
ἅμα ἡ θεωρία γίνεται ἀλλ᾽ οἴχεται τοῖς θεωροῦσι τὸ ἓν
καὶ τὸ ὅλον ἐκ τῆς θεωρίας) οἷον εἰ μυρίων σταδίων εἴη
ζῷον·

ὥστε δεῖ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν συστημάτων καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν
ζῴων ἔχειν μὲν μέγεθος, τοῦτο δὲ εὐσύνοπτον εἶναι, οὕτω
καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μύθων ἔχειν μὲν μῆκος, τοῦτο δὲ εὐμνημόνευτον
εἶναι.

τοῦ μήκους ὅρος ὁ μὲν πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας καὶ
τὴν αἴσθησιν οὐ τῆς τέχνης ἐστίν· εἰ γὰρ ἔδει ἑκατὸν
τραγῳδίας ἀγωνίζεσθαι, πρὸς κλεψύδρας ἂν ἠγωνίζοντο,
ὥσπερ ποτὲ καὶ ἄλλοτέ †φασιν† .

ὁ δὲ κατ᾽ αὐτὴν τὴν
φύσιν τοῦ πράγματος ὅρος, ἀεὶ μὲν ὁ μείζων μέχρι τοῦ σύνδηλος
εἶναι καλλίων ἐστὶ κατὰ τὸ μέγεθος· ὡς δὲ ἁπλῶς
διορίσαντας εἰπεῖν, ἐν ὅσῳ μεγέθει κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἢ τὸ
ἀναγκαῖον ἐφεξῆς γιγνομένων συμβαίνει εἰς εὐτυχίαν ἐκ δυστυχίας
ἢ ἐξ εὐτυχίας εἰς δυστυχίαν μεταβάλλειν, ἱκανὸς
ὅρος ἐστὶν τοῦ μεγέθους.

Poetics, Greek text (Franz Ritter, 1839) (OCR draft) Experimental (Franz Ritter's 1839 Greek edition, corrected against OCR of the represented copy and aligned to the conventional Perseus chapter-and-subchapter sequence.) — 7 focus

κεῖται δ᾽ ἡμῖν τὴν τραγῳδίαν τελείας καὶ ὅλης πράξεως εἶναι μίμησιν, ἐχούσης τι μέγεθος· ἔστι γὰρ ὅλον καὶ μηδὲν ἔχον μέγεθος.

ὅλον δ᾽ ἐστὶ τὸ ἔχον ἀρχὴν καὶ μέσον καὶ τελευτήν.

ἀρχὴ δ' ἐστίν ὃ αὐτὸ μὲν μὴ ἐξ ἀνάγκης μετ᾿ ἄλλο ἐστί, μετ᾽ ἐκεῖνο δ᾽ ἕτερον πέφυκεν εἶναι ἢ γίνεσθαι·

μέσον δὲ ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ μετ' ἄλλο καὶ μετ' ἐκεῖνο ἕτερον.

δεῖ ἄρα τοὺς συνεστῶτας εὖ μύθους μήθ᾽ ὁπόθεν ἔτυχεν ἄρχεσθαι μήθ᾽ ὅπου ἔτυχε τελευτῶν, ἀλλὰ κεχρῆσθαι ταῖς εἰρημέναις ἰδέαις.

ἔτι δ᾽ ἐπεὶ τὸ καλὸν καὶ ζῷον καὶ ἅπαν πρᾶγμα ὃ συνέστηκεν ἔκ τινων, οὐ μόνον ταῦτα τεταγμένα δεῖ ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέγεθος ὑπάρχειν μὴ τὸ τυχόν· - τὸ γὰρ καλὸν ἐν μεγέθει καὶ τάξει ἐστί,

διὸ οὔτε πάμμικρον ἄν τι γένοιτο καλὸν ζῷον (συγχεῖται γὰρ ἡ θεωρία ἐγγὺς τοῦ ἀναισθήτου χρόνου γινομένη) οὔτε παμμέγεθες· οὐ γὰρ ἅμα ἡ θεωρία γίνεται, ἀλλ' οἴχεται τοῖς θεωὑροῦσι τὸ ἓν καὶ τὸ ὅλον ἐκ τῆς θεωρίας, οἷον εἰ μυρίων σταδίων εἴη ζῷον.

ὥστε δεῖ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν σωμάτων καὶ ἐπὶ¹ τῶν ζῴων ἔχειν μὲν μέγεθος, τοῦτο δὲ εὐσύνοπτον εἶναι, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μύθων ἔχειν μὲν μῆκος, τοῦτο δ᾽ εὐμνημόνευτον εἶναι.

τοῦ δὲ μήκους ὅρος πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγῶνας καὶ τὴν αἴσθησιν οὐ τῆς τέχνης ἐστίν· εἰ γὰρ ἔδει ἑκατὸν τραγῳδίας ἀγωνίζεσθαι, πρὸς κλεψύδραν ἂν ἠγωνίζοντο [, ὥσπερ η ποτὲ καὶ ἄλλοτε φασίν].

ὁ δὲ κατ᾽ αὐτὴν τὴν φύσιν τοῦ πράγματος ὅρος, ἀεὶ μὲν ὁ μείζων μέχρι τοῦ σύνδηλος εἶναι καλλίων ἐστὶ κατὰ τὸ μέγεθος, ὡς δὲ ἁπλῶς διορίσαντας εἰπεῖν, ἐν ὅσῳ μεγέθει κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἢ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ἐφεξῆς γιγνομένων συμβαίνει εἰς εὐτυχίαν ἐκ δυστυχίας ἢ ἐξ εὐτυχίας εἰς δυστυχίαν μεταβάλλειν, ἱκανὸς ὕρος ἐστὶ τοῦ μεγέθους.

Translations (13)

Poetics (W. H. Fyfe) (OCR draft) Perseus (William Hamilton Fyfe's English translation of Aristotle's Poetics, Loeb Classical Library, 1939 printing.) — 7 focus

After these definitions we must next discuss the proper arrangement of the incidents since this is the first and most important thing in tragedy.

We have laid it down that tragedy is a representation of an action that is whole and complete and of a certain magnitude, since a thing may be a whole and yet have no magnitude.

A whole is what has a beginning and middle and end.

A beginning is that which is not a necessary consequent of anything else but after which something else exists or happens as a natural result.

An end on the contrary is that which is inevitably or, as a rule, the natural result of something else but from which nothing else follows;

a middle follows something else and something follows from it.

Well constructed plots must not therefore begin and end at random, but must embody the formulae we have stated.

Moreover, in everything that is beautiful, whether it be a living creature or any organism composed of parts, these parts must not only be orderly arranged but must also have a certain magnitude of their own;

for beauty consists in magnitude and ordered arrangement. From which it follows that neither would a very small creature be beautiful—for our view of it is almost instantaneous and therefore confused¹—nor a very large one, 1451a 1 since being unable to view it all at once, we lose the effect of a single whole; for instance, suppose a creature a thousand miles long.

As then creatures and other organic structures must have a certain magnitude and yet be easily taken in by the eye, so too with plots: they must have length but must be easily taken in by the memory.

The limit of length considered in relation to competitions and production² before an audience does not concern this treatise. Had it been the rule to produce a hundred tragedies, the performance would have been regulated by the water clock, as it is said they did once in other days.

But as for the natural limit of the action, the longer the better as far as magnitude goes, provided it can all be grasped at once. To give a simple definition: the magnitude which admits of a change from bad fortune to good or from good fortune to bad, in a sequence of events which follow one another either inevitably or according to probability, that is the proper limit.

Arabic Poetics (Badawī edition, 1953) (OCR draft) (The ancient Arabic translation of Aristotle's Poetics in ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Badawī's 1953 edition.) — 7 focus

〈مدى الفعل〉

فاذ قد 〈حددت〉 هذه الأشياء، فلنتكلم بعدها مثل أى شىء هو قوام الأمور، من قبل أن هذا مقدم وهو أعظم من صناعة المديح.

وقد وصفنا صناعة المديح أنها استتمام وغاية جميع العمل والتشبيه والمحاكاة، وأن لها عظماً ما وهى كلها وأن ليس لها شىء من العظم. والكل هو [إ] ما له ابتداء ووسط وآخر؛ والمبدأ هو ما كان إما هو فليس من الضرورة مع الآخر. وأما مع الآخر فمن شأنه أن يكون ليكون مع هذا. وأما الآخر فبالعكس، أعنى أما هو فمن شأنه أن يكون مع آخر من الاضطرار أو على أكثر الأمر؛ وأما بعده فليس شىء آخر. وأما الوسط فهو مع آخر، ويتبعها آخر أيضاً.

ومن الآن الذين هم يقومون هم إيجاد من حيث يبتدئ به توجد، ولا أين يجعل آخر الأمر يجد، بل إنهم يستعملون الصور والخلق التى قيلت.

وأيضاً على الحيوان الخير وكل أمر لا يتركب شىء. وليس إنما ينبغى أن تكون هذه فقط منتظمة مرتبة، لكن قد ينبغى أن يكون العظم لا أى عظم اتفق، من قبل أن معنى لا وجود إنما يكون بالعظم والترتيب. ولذلك ليس حيوان ما صغير هو جيد (وذلك أن النظر هو مركب لقرب الزمان الغير محسوس) من حيث يكون ليس فى الكل عظيم (وذلك أن النظر ليس يكون معاً، لكن حالها حال تجعل الناظرين واحداً وكلا؛ وذلك من النظر مثلا، مثل أن يكون الحيوان على بعد عشرة آلاف ميدان) حتى يكون كما يجب على الأجسام وعلى الحيوان أن يكون عظم ما. وهذا نفسه يكون سهل البيان. وبهذا نفسه يكون فى الخرافة أيضاً طول ويكون محفوظاً فى الذكر.

وأما الطول نفسه فحده نحو الجهاد والاحساس الذى للصناعة، وذلك أنه إن كان كل واحد من الناس قد كان يجب أن يعمل بالمديح الجهاد نحو ثلاث ساعات الماء، لقد كان يستعمل الجهاد قلا فسودرا كما من عادتنا أن نقول فى زمان ما ومتى. ولما كان لطبيعة الأمور قد يظن أنه يوجد إلى أن يظهر، كان هذا من الأفضل فى العظم. وكما حدوا على الاطلاق وقالوا فى كم من العظم على الحقيقة أو تلك تدعو الضرورة عندما تكون فى هذه التى تكون على الاضطرار واحداً فى إثر الآخر تنوب عند النجاح الكائن بعد رداءة البخت أو تغير رداءة البخت إلى الصلاح يكون للعظم حد كاف.

Poetics (S. H. Butcher, 1911) (OCR draft) Experimental (S. H. Butcher's English translation from Aristotle's Theory of Poetry and Fine Art, fourth edition, 1911.) — 7 focus

These principles being established, let us now discuss
the proper structure of the Plot, since this is the first
and most important thing in Tragedy.

Now, according to our definition, Tragedy is an
imitation of an action that is complete, and whole, and
of a certain magnitude; for there may be a whole that
is wanting in magnitude.

A whole is that which has
a beginning, a middle, and an end.

A beginning is that
which does not itself follow anything by causal necessity,
but after which something naturally is or comes to be.

An end, on the contrary, is that which itself naturally
follows some other thing, either by necessity, or as a rule,
but has nothing following it.

A middle is that which
follows something as some other thing follows it.

A well
constructed plot, therefore, must neither begin nor end
at haphazard, but conform to these principles.

Again, a beautiful object, whether it be a living
organism or any whole composed of parts, must not
only have an orderly arrangement of parts, but must
also be of a certain magnitude;

for beauty depends on
magnitude and order. Hence a very small animal
organism cannot be beautiful; for the view of it is con-
fused, the object being seen in an almost imperceptible
moment of time. Nor, again, can one of vast size be
beautiful; for as the eye cannot take it all in at once,
the unity and sense of the whole is lost for the spectator;
as for instance if there were one a thousand miles
long.

As, therefore, in the case of animate bodies and
organisms a certain magnitude is necessary, and a magni-
tude which may be easily embraced in one view; so in
the plot, a certain length is necessary, and a length
which can be easily embraced by the memory.

The
limit of length in relation to dramatic competition and
sensuous presentment, is no part of artistic theory. For
had it been the rule for a hundred tragedies to compete
together, the performance would have been regulated by
the water-clock, — as indeed we are told was formerly
done.

But the limit as fixed by the nature of the
drama itself is this: — the greater the length, the
more beautiful will the piece be by reason of its
size, provided that the whole be perspicuous. And
to define the matter roughly, we may say that the
proper magnitude is comprised within such limits, that
the sequence of events, according to the law of probability
or necessity, will admit of a change from bad fortune to
good, or from good fortune to bad.

Aristotle on the Art of Poetry (Ingram Bywater, 1909) (OCR draft) Experimental (Ingram Bywater's English translation of Aristotle's Poetics, published in 1909.) — 7 focus

Having thus distinguished the parts, let us now consider
the proper construction of the Fable or Plot, as that is at
once the first and the most important thing in Tragedy.

We have laid it down that a tragedy is an imitation of an
action that is complete in itself, as a whole of some magni-
tude;
for a whole may be of no magnitude to speak of.

Now a whole is that which has beginning, middle, and end.

A beginning is that which is not itself necessarily after
anything else, and which has naturally something else after
it;

an end is that which is naturally after something itself,
either as its necessary or usual consequent, and with nothing
else after it;

and a middle, that which is by nature after
one thing and has also another after it.

A well-constructed
Plot, therefore, cannot either begin or end at any point one
likes; beginning and end in it must be of the forms just
described.

Again: to be beautiful, a living creature, and
every whole made up of parts, must not only present a
certain order in its arrangement of parts, but also be of
a certain definite magnitude.

Beauty is a matter of size
and order, and therefore impossible either (1) in a very
minute creature, since our perception becomes indistinct as
it approaches instantaneity; or (2) in a creature of vast
size-one, say, 1000 miles long-as in that case, instead of
the object being seen all at once, the unity and wholeness
of it is lost to the beholder.

Just in the same way, then,
as a beautiful whole made up of parts, or a beautiful living
creature, must be of some size, a size to be taken in by the
eye, so a story or Plot must be of some length, but of
a length to be taken in by the memory.

As for the limit
of its length, so far as that is relative to public performances
and spectators, it does not fall within the theory of poetry.
If they had to perform a hundred tragedies, they would
be timed by water-clocks, as they are said to have been
at one period.

The limit, however, set by the actual nature
of the thing is this: the longer the story, consistently with
its being comprehensible as a whole, the finer it is by
reason of its magnitude. As a rough general formula, 'a
length which allows of the hero passing by a series of
probable or necessary stages from misfortune to happiness,
or from happiness to misfortune,' may suffice as a limit for
the magnitude of the story.

Poetics (Thomas Twining, 1789) (OCR draft) Experimental (Thomas Twining's English translation of Aristotle's Poetics, published in 1789 and aligned to the Kassel reference passage sequence.) — 7.11 focus

With respect to the measure of this length—if referred to actual representation in the dramatic contests, it is a matter foreign to the art itself: for if a hundred Tragedies were to be exhibited in concurrence, the length of each performance must be regulated by the hour glass; a practice of which, it is said, there have formerly been instances.

The Poetic of Aristotle (Theodore Alois Buckley) (OCR draft) Experimental (Theodore Alois Buckley's English translation, first published in 1850 and represented from the Henry G. Bohn 1857 printing; corrected against a second OCR and aligned to the Kassel reference passage sequence.) — 7.11 focus

The definition, however, of the length ¹ with reference to contests and the senses, does not fall under the consideration of art. For if it were requisite to perform a hundred tragedies, [as is said to have been the case more than once 3,] the performance ought to be regulated by a clepsydra. ² But the definition [of the length of the fable] according to the nature of the thing, is this, that the fable is always more beautiful the greater it is, if at the same time it is perspicuous. Simply defining the thing, however, we may say, [that a fable has an appropriate magnitude,] when the time of its duration is such as to render it probable that there can be a transition from prosperous to adverse,

Poetica Latine conversa (Franciscus Ritter, 1839) (OCR draft) Experimental (Franz Ritter's Latin translation, corrected against OCR of the represented copy and aligned to the conventional Perseus chapter-and-subchapter sequence.) — 7 focus

Quibus expositis, dicamus iam qualem esse oporteat compositionem factorum, quandoquidem hoc et primum et maximum in tragoedia est.

certum autem nobis est tragoediam esse imitationem absolutae et totius actionis quae aliquam magnitudinem habeat: est enim totum etiam quod nullam magnitudinem habeat.

totum autem est quod habet principium et medium et finem.

principium est quod ipsum quidem haud necessario post aliud est, post illud' autem aliud oportet esse aut fieri;

finis autem contrarium, quod ipsum post aliud oportet esse, sive necessario sive ut plurimum, post hoc autem aliud nihil;

medium autem quod et ipsum post aliud et post illud aliud.

oportet igitur fabulas bene compositas neque unde fors tulerit incipere neque ubicumque desinere, sed ex formis ante dictis constitutas esse.

porro quoniam quod pulchrum sive animal sive quaecumque res quae ex quibusdam partibus constat, non solum has dispositas habeat necesse est, sed etiam magnitudinem non quamcumque:

- pulchrum enim in magnitudine et ordine est, ita ut neque perexiguum animal pulchrum fieri possit (confunditur enim contemplatio cum prope ad insensibile tempus accedit) neque permagnum: non enim simul contemplatio fit, sed elabitur contemplantibus unum et totum ex contemplatione,

veluti si sexcentorum stadiorum esset animal, itaque quemadmodum oportet in corporibus et animalibus esse quidem magnitudinem, hanc vero facile conspiciendam esse, sic etiam in fabulis adesse quidem longitudinem, sed quae facile memoria comprehendatur.

sed longitudinis terminus ratione habita ad certamina et perceptionem, artis non est: si enim centum tragoedias certare oporteret, ad clepsydram sane certarent [, quomodo aliquando et alias dicunt].

sed qui ex ipsa natura facti consequitur terminus, semper quidem amplior, dummodo perspicuus sit, pulchrior est sccundum magnitudinem, sed ut simpliciter definiendo dicamus, quo spatio temporis, secundum probabilitatem vel necessitatem rebus succedentibus, accidit in felicitatem ex infelicitate aut ex felicitate in infelicitatem mutationem fieri, sufficiens terminus est magnitudinis.

La poëtique d'Aristote (André Dacier, 1692) (OCR draft) Experimental (André Dacier's French translation of Aristotle's Poetics, published in 1692.) — 7.11 focus

Or la meſure préciſe de cette grandeur, pour ce qui regarde la durée de la repreſentation & de l'attention du ſpectateur, ne peut être décidée par des regles certaines & fixes, car s'il falloit joüer, par exemple, cent Tragedies dans un jour, il faudroit meſurer le temps de chacune à la Clepſydre, comme on dit que cela ſe pratiquoit autrefois.

Poetica d'Aristotile (Bernardo Segni, 1549) (OCR draft) Experimental (Bernardo Segni's 1549 Florentine Italian translation, aligned to the Kassel reference passage sequence.) — 7 focus

Stato preſuppoſto da noi, che la Tragedia imiti vna attione intera, et perfetta; et che habbia qualche grandezza. Io dico queſto, perchè e ſi dà vn'intero, & vn' tutto, che nó ha grandezza alcuna.¹

Tutto è quello, che ha principio, mezo, & fine. Principio frdice effer quello, che per neceſsità non è doppo vnaltra coſa; ma à cui benne conſeguita doppo vnaltra, che fia, ò che ſi faccia.. Il fine allincontro è quello, che per natura è atto à effere doppo vnaltra coſa, ò neceffariamen te, ò il più delle volte; & à cui neſſun altra coſa confe guita doppo.

Mezo è quello, che ſta doppo vnaltra cofa; & à cui doppo ne conſeguita vnaltra.

Dico adunche con tai coſe preſuppoſte, che le Fauole ben' teſſute nó debbon' cominciare onde vno ſi voglias nè allincontro finire ouunche vn' fi voglia: ma debbono vſare in ciò i fopradetti termini.

Oltradiqueſto, perchè ogni coſa bel la,ò animale, o altro che egli ſi ſia di piu parti compofto, non pur' debba hauere eſſe parti bene ordinate; ma anchora debba hauere la grandezza, ma non già qual fi voglia:

perchè la bellezza confute nella grandezza,& nell'ordine.

Però non mai potrà eſſer bello animale quello, che ſia troppo piccolo; perchè la viſta vi ſi confonde, effendoui fatta quafi, che in vn' tempo inſenſibile.

Ne anchora potrà eſſer bello allincotro quello, che fia troppo grande; perchè la viſta di lui non vi fi fa tut ta inſieme: ma quel tutto, & quell'uno piutoſto sfugge la con D'ARISTOTI la confideratione, che di lui fi fa:com'è dire quando vn animale fuſſe lungo vn' miglio.

Onde fi conchiude che cofi come auuiene nei corpi, & negli animali, che e' deb bino cioè hauer grandezza, che ſia attaåben poterſi vedere,parimete che le Fauole debbino hauer lunghez za atta à ben poterſene ricordare il cui termino per quanto ſe n'aſpetta allo ſpettacolo, & al ſenſo, non è vf fitio dell'arte.

Imperchè quando e bifognafle recitar cento Tragedie, elle ſi potrebbon' recitare tutte infra quello ſpatio di tempo, che miſura l'horihuolo d'acqua; come fi dicey che gia altroue è ſtato v ſato di farfi.

Mail termino della lunghezza, che di fua natura ha la Fauo la; fempre il maggiore è piu bello che ſi produce in lun ghezza: infino à tanto che in tal lunghezza el fia manifeſto.

Et per dir queſta materia aſſolutamente, quanto cioè debba effere il termino della lunghezza conue niente alla Fauola; dico che egli è quello, doue ſeguite le coſe per via del verifimile & del neceffario, fuccefsiuamente v'accade fare il trapaflamento dimiferia in fe licità, ò di felicità in miferiadaniolum

De poetica (Antonio Riccobono, 1587) (OCR draft) Experimental (Antonio Riccobono's Latin translation, first published in 1587; text represented from Immanuel Bekker's 1831 edition.) — 7 focus

Explicatis autem his, dicamus deinceps qualem esse oporteat rerum compositionem, quoniam iam hoc et primum et maximum tragoediae est. positum autem est a nobis perfectae atque totius actionis esse imitationem, habentis aliquam magnitudinem.

totum autem est habens principium et medium et finem. ac principium est, quod ipsum ex necessitate post aliud non est, post illud vero aliud naturaliter est aut fit.

finis contrarium, quod ipsum post so aliud naturaliter est, aut ex necessitate aut plerunque, post hoc autem aliud nihil.

medium, quod et ipsum post aliud est et post illud aliud. oportet igitur bene compositas fabulas neque unde libet incipere, neque ubi libet finire, sed uti dictis formis.

praeterea vero, quoniam pulchrum et animal et omnem rem, quae ex quibusdam composita est, non solum haec ordinata habere oportet, verum etiam esse magnam, sed non quomodo libet:

nam pulchrum in magnitudine et ordine consistit;

unde neque omnino parvum animal esse potest pulchrum (confunditur enim spectatio, quae prope insensibili tem pore fiat) neque omnino magnum (non enim simul spectatio fit,

sed perit spectantibus unum et totum ex spectatione, ut si decem milium stadiorum sit animal), propterea oportet, quemadmodum in corporibus et in animalibus inesse quidem magnitudinem, sed eam quae facile conspici possit,

sic et in fabulis inveniri quidem longitudinem, sed eam quae facile retineri memoria possit. longitudinis autem terminus ad contentiones et sensum non artis est:

si enim termino opus esset causa tragoedias recitandi, ad clepsydras contenderent, quemadmodum quondam et aliis temporibus factum esse affirmant.

terminus autem rei secundum ipsam naturam semper quidem, qui maior est, quatenus simul patet, pulchrior est secundum magnitudinem.

verum ut simpliciter re definita dicam, in quanta magnitudine secundum verisimile et necessarium deinceps nascentibus rebus contingit in prosperam fortunam ex adversa aut ex prospera in adversam mutari, sufficiens terminus est magnitudinis.

De arte poetica liber (William of Moerbeke, ca. 1277) (OCR draft) Experimental (William of Moerbeke's medieval Latin translation, represented by the 1953 Aristoteles Latinus edition.) — 7 focus

Determinatis autem hiis, dicamus post hec qualem quandam oportet consistentiam esse rerum, quoniam hoc et primum et maximum est tragodie.

Supponitur autem nobis tragodiam perfecte et totalis actionis esse imitationem habentis aliquam magnitudinem ;

est enim totum et nullam habens magnitudinem. Totum autem est habens principium medium et finem.

Principium autem est quod ipsum quidem non ex necessitate post aliud est, post illud autem alterum natum est esse aut fieri.

Finis autem contrarium quod et ipsum post aliud natum est esse aut ex necessitate aut ut in pluribus, post hoc autem aliud nullum;

medium autem quod et ipsum post aliud et post illud alterum.

Oportet igitur constituentes bene fabulas neque undecumque contingit incipere, neque ubicumque contingit terminare, sed uti dictis speciebus. —

Adhuc autem quoniam quod pulchrum, et animal et omnem rem que constat ex aliquibus, non solum hec ordinata oportet habere, sed et magnitudinem existere non quamcumque ; nam quod pulerum in magnitudine et ordine est; propter quod

neque omnino parvum utique aliquid fiet pulcrum animal (adiacet enim speculatio prope insensibile tempus facta), neque omnino magnum ; non enim simul speculatio fit, sed cedit speculantibus unum et totum ex speculatione, velut si decem milium stadiorum sit animal.

Quare oportet, sicut in corporibus et in animalibus habere quidem magnitudinem, hanc autem facile conspicabilem esse, sic et in fabulis habere quidem longitudinem, hanc autem facile memorabilem esse.

Longitudinis terminus quidem ad agones et ad sensum, non artis est; si enim oportebat centum tragodias agonizari, ad klepsydras utique agonizarent, sicut aliquando et alias aiunt. —

Qui autem secundum ipsam naturam rei terminus, semper quidem qui maior usquequo commanifestus sit melior est secundum magnitudinem, ut autem simpliciter determinantes dicere est, in quanta magnitudine secundum verisimile aut necessa- rium consequenter factis accidit 1n eufortunium ex iniortunio aut ex eufortunio in infortunium transmutari, sufficiens terminus est magnitudinis. —

Arabic Poetics (Abū Bishr Mattā; Tkatsch edition) (OCR draft) Experimental (The Arabic translation attributed to Abū Bishr Mattā, edited by Jaroslaus Tkatsch in 1928 and aligned to the Kassel reference passage sequence.) — 7 focus

‏فاذ قد حددت هذه الاشيا فلنتكلم بعدها مثل اى شى هو قوام الامور من قبل ان هذا مقدم وهو اعظم من صناعة المديح

‏وقد وصفنا صناعة المديح انها استتمام وغاية جميع العمل والتشبيه والمحاكاة وان لها عظم ما وهى كلها وان ليس لها شى [شيا] من العظم

‏والكل هو اما له ابتدا ووسط واخر

‏والمبدا هو ما كان اما هو فليس من الضرورة مع الاخر واما مع الاخر فمن شانه ان يكون ليكون مع هذا

‏واما الاخر فبالعكس اعنى انما هو فمن شانه ان يكون مع اخر من الاضطرار او على اكثر الامر واما بعده فليس شى اخر

‏واما الوسط فهو مع اخر ويتبعها اخر ايضا

‏ومن الان الذين هم يقومون هم ايجاد من حيث يبتدى به يوجد ولا اين يجعل الامر يجد بل انهم يستعملون الصور والخلق التى قيلت

‏وايضا على الحيون الخير وكل امر لا يتركب شى وليس انما ينبغى ان تكون هذه فقط منتظمة مرتبة لكن قد ينبغى ان يكون العظم لا اى عظم اتفق من قبل ان معنى لا وجود انما يكون بالعظم والترتيب

‏ولذلك ليس حيوان ما صغير هو جبد وذلك ان النظر هو مركب لقرب الزمان لغير محسوس من حيث يكون ليس فى الكل عظيم وذلك ان النظر ليس يكون معا لكن حالها حال يجعل الناظرين واحد وكل وذلك من النظر مثلا مثل ان يكون الحيوان على بعد عشرة الف ميدان

‏حتى يكون كما يجٮ على الاجسام وعلى الحيوان ان يكون عظم ما وهذا نفسه يكون سهل البيان وبهذا نفسه يكون فى الخرافة ايضا طول ويكون محفوظ فى الذكر

‏واما لطول نفسه فحده نحو الجهاد والاحساس الذى للصناعة وذلك انه ان كان كل واحد من الناس قد كان يجب ان يعمل بالمديح الجهاد نحو ثلاث ساعات الما لقد كان يستعمل الجهاد قلافسودرا كما من عادتنا ان نقول فى زمان ما

‏ومتى ولما كان الطبيعة الامور قد يظن انه يوجد الى ان يظهر كان هذا من الافضل فى العظم وكما حدوا على الاطلاق وقالوا فى كم من العظم على الحقيقة او تلك تدعوا الضرورة عند ما تكون فى هذه التى تكون على الاضطرار واحد فى اثر الاخر تنوب عند النجاح الكاين بعد رداوة البخت او تغير رداوة البخت الى الصلاح يكون العظم حد كافى

Arabic Poetics (Abū Bishr Mattā; Tkatsch edition, unaligned) (OCR draft) Experimental (Tkatsch's edition of the medieval Arabic translation in its original, unaligned segmentation.) — 7 focus

‏فاذ قد حددت هذه الاشيا فلنتكلم بعدها مثل اى شى هو قوام الامور من قبل ان هذا مقدم وهو اعظم من صناعة المديح

‏والكل هو اما له ابتدا ووسط واخر

‏والمبدا هو ما كان اما هو فليس من الضرورة مع الاخر واما مع الاخر فمن شانه ان يكون ليكون مع هذا واما الاخر فبالعكس اعنى انما هو فمن شانه ان يكون مع اخر من الاضطرار او على اكثر الامر واما بعده فليس شى اخر واما الوسط فهو مع اخر ويتبعها اخر ايضا

‏وايضا على الحيون الخير وكل امر لا يتركب شى وليس انما ينبغى ان تكون هذه فقط منتظمة مرتبة لكن قد ينبغى ان يكون العظم لا اى عظم اتفق من قبل ان معنى لا وجود انما يكون بالعظم والترتيب ولذلك ليس حيوان ما صغير هو جبد وذلك ان النظر هو مركب لقرب الزمان لغير محسوس من حيث يكون ليس فى الكل عظيم وذلك ان النظر ليس يكون معا لكن حالها حال يجعل الناظرين واحد وكل وذلك من النظر مثلا مثل ان يكون الحيوان على بعد عشرة الف ميدان

Commentary

Commentary on the Poetics (Ingram Bywater, 1909) (OCR draft) (Ingram Bywater's English commentary on Aristotle's Poetics.) focus

11. mvp-aristotle-comment-314

ὅρος ὁ μὲν πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας the limit in practice, in contradistinction to the theoretic limit of length, ὁ κατ᾿ αὐτὴν τὴν φύσιν τοῦ πράγματος ὅρος (a 9) . In actual practice the length of the play is determined by the conditions of the public performances ( ἀγῶνες) in which it will be presented on the stage; the time it is to occupy there is fixed by custom and convention rather than theory.

11. mvp-aristotle-comment-315

1451a7 τὴν αἴσθησιν scil. ">τῶν θεατῶν (see on 15, 1454 b 15 ); comp. 4, 1449 a 8

πρὸς τὰ θέατρα

. The language here, though quite general, seems to refer more especially to the power of attention in the audiences.

11. mvp-aristotle-comment-316

1451a8 ἑκατὸν τραγῳδίας ἀγωνίζεσθαι an extreme instance like the μυρίων σταδίων ζῷον in a 2. The subject of ἀγωνίζεσθαι, if expressed, would be 'the performers', ἀγωνίζεσθαί τι in stage matters being synonymous with ὑποκρίνεσθαί τι; comp. Demosth. 19, 246

τοῦτο δὲ τὸ δρᾶμα Μόλων ἠγωνίζετο

. — 250

ἃ ἡγωνίσω καὶ ἀκριβῶς ἐξηπίστασο

. — 337

τὰ Θυέστου... ἠγωνίζετο

(see on 6, 1450 b 18 ). In the sense of 'contend', as said of the dramatic poet, it would require an instrumental dative ( τραγῳδίαις) after it. The personification implied in Tyrwhitt's rendering, 'si centum tragoedias in theatro certare oporteret', is (I think) questionable in Aristotle. Goulston takes ἀγωνίζεσθαι as a passive (= agi) as it certainly sometimes is.

11. mvp-aristotle-comment-317

πρὸς κλεψύδρας For the preposition comp. fr. 468 Teubn.

μέτρον τί ἐστιν ὕδατος πρὸς μεμετρημένον ἡμέρας διάστημα ῥέον ... πρὸς δὴ τοῦτο ἠγωνίζοντο οἱ μέγιστοι καὶ περὶ τῶν μεγίστων ἀγῶνες

11. mvp-aristotle-comment-318

1451a8-9 ὥσπερ ποτὲ καὶ ἄλλοτέ †φασιν† The idea of tragedies having been at some date or other timed by the clepsydra is to my mind highly improbable, and there is no hint of such a thing elsewhere. The language also here is not free from difficulties. Tyrwhitt translates it by 'quemadmodum aliquando alias etiam factum esse perhibent'; and Vahlen (Berlin Academy, Sitzungsberichte 1897 p. 639) by 'wie man sagt, dass sie auch sonst gespielt haben'. To get this out of the words, and make them relate to Tragedy, or rather the past history of Tragedy, it becomes necessary to supply (with Vahlen) an aorist infinitive, ἀγωνίσασθαι, from the preceding imperfect ἠγωνίζοντο, and also to make ποτὲ καὶ ἄλλοτε mean simply 'once' or 'formerly', though its natural meaning would be 'at a certain other time'. Two instances have been pointed out of ποτὲ καὶ ἄλλοτε: Xenophon Anab. 6. 4. 12

ὑμᾶς δεῖ παρασκευάζεσθαι ὡς μαχουμένους εἴ ποτε καὶ ἄλλοτε

[= 'si unquam alias']; Lucian Hermot. 24

ἤδη γάρ ποτε καὶ ἄλλοτε

[= 'alias quondam']

πρεσβύτου ἀνδρὸς ἤκουσα διεξιόντος

. These, however, are not enough to show that ποτὲ καὶ ἄλλοτε can only refer to an indefinite past or future; with a verb in the present it may very well refer to the indefinite present also, and have the sense of 'at certain other times', just in the same way as ποτέ, with a present, means 'at certain times' in Soph. el. 16, 175 a 27

συμβαίνει δέ ποτε καθάπερ ἐν τοῖς διαγράμμασιν

, and in the familiar antithesis of ποτέ and ἀεί. M. Schmidt's correction, εἰώθασιν (for φασιν), though perhaps too bold, yields an unimpeachable sense, 'as is regularly done at certain other times', i. e. by another class of ἀγωνισταί, the pleaders in the law-courts. As a variation on it, to make the sense clearer, I would suggest ὥσπερ ποτὲ καὶ ἄλλοι εἰώθασιν.

1451a10

11. mvp-aristotle-comment-319

ὁ δὲ ... ὅρος is appositional to what follows.

Remarques sur la poëtique d'Aristote (André Dacier, 1692) (OCR draft) (André Dacier's French commentary on Aristotle's Poetics.) focus

14. mvp-aristotle-comment-216

7.11 14. Or la meſure préciſe de cette grandeur, pour ce qui regarde la durée de la repreſentation, & de l'attention du ſpectateur, ne peut être decidée par des regles certaines & fixes.]¹

15. mvp-aristotle-comment-217

7.11 15. Car s'il falloit joüer, par exemple, cent Tragedies dans un jour, il faudroit meſurer le temps de chacune à la Clepſydre.]²

16. mvp-aristotle-comment-218

7.11 16. Comme on dit que cela ſe pratiquoit autrefois.]³

Commentary on the Poetics (Thomas Twining, 1789) (OCR draft) (Thomas Twining's notes on Aristotle's Poetics, aligned to the Kassel reference edition.) focus

64. mvp-aristotle-comment-64

NOTE 64. P. 80.

7.11 IF A HUNDRED TRAGEDIES &C.

The supposition of a hundred Tragedies performed in concurrence seems merely to be a sort of hyperbolical fling at the known intemperance of the Athenian people with respect to theatrical exhibitions; and Dacier has rightly, I think, accounted for this

exuberantia orationis

, as Victorius calls it¹. But Dacier, and the Abbé Batteux after him, make Aristotle's expression too hyperbolical for hyperbole itself, when they translate,

"S'il falloit jouer cent Tragedies en un jour."

For if the Tragedies were only half an hour long, and played without intermission, they would have required a day of fifty hours. We must understand, surely, with Beni,

"Si centum Tragœdiæ, verbi gratiâ, totis illis spectaculorum diebus recitandæ proponerentur;"

Comment. p. 211. which will still leave hyperbole enough.

Dacier is also mistaken, I believe, in concluding, from what Aristotle says, that it was once an established custom with the Greeks to regulate the length of Tragedies by the clepsydra, or hour-glass. His expression seems to imply at least, that it had been rarely practised, if it does not, as M. Batteux thinks, imply some doubt, whether it had been done at all:—

ὥσπερ ποτε και άλλοτε ΦΑΣΙ

. Thus much, however, as to the limited length of these performances, we may easily conceive; that when, to gratify the immoderate fondness of the Athenians for the drama, an uncommon number of Tragedies were exhibited in concurrence, and the contending Poets were apt to encroach upon the patience of the audience, by lengthening out their pieces in order to shew off themselves, or their actors², the Lord Chamberlain of these exhibitions might be obliged, in compliance with the clamours of the people, to confine the representation of each drama to some limited time.

Commentarius in Aristotelis Poeticam (Franciscus Ritter, 1839) (OCR draft) (Ritter's Latin commentary, extracted from the 1839 volume, divided by Ritter's chapters and sections, and linked to the corresponding Perseus reference subsections.) focus

6. mvp-aristotle-comment-58

Ritter, cap. 7 § 6

ὥσπερ ποτὲ καὶ ἄλλοτε φασίν: quid sibi velit hoc inane additamentum, nemo demonstrare potuit. si explicamus quomodo olim et alias factum esse dicunt, primum additur quod non inest in Graecis (factum esse), tum ἄλλοτε inepte post ποτέ et frigide adiungitur. nam si ποτέ et ἄλλοτε sibi respondent, varia tempora indicantur ¹). quapropter eae voces per xa ὶ connecti non possunt, non magis quam Latinis modo et modo dicere licet pro modo - modo. :

Aristotle Poetics 7.11

ed. Henry James Pye

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NOTE 64. P. 80.

Ritter, cap. 7 § 6

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