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It has also that, of attaining the end of its imitation in a shorter compass: for the effect is more pleasurable, when produced by a short and close series of impressions, than when weakened by diffusion through a long extent of time; as the Oedipus of SOPHOCLES, for example, would be, if it were drawn out to the length of the Iliad¹.

[3]

Poetics. Aristotle. Thomas Twining (Translator). London, UK. 1789.

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Current edition Experimental

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

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Translations (3)

The Poetic of Aristotle (Henry James Pye, revised 1792) (OCR draft) Experimental (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.) — 26.12 focus

And it possesses another advantage, in confining the action by which the end of the imitation is attained within a narrower compass. For, being, as it were, condensed, it becomes more interesting than if it were protracted through a longer succession of time. What would be the effect, for example, if the Edipus of Sophocles were to be put into as many verses as the Iliad?

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.) — 26.12 focus

The end, too, of its imitation is confined in less extended limits. For being crowded into a narrower compass, it becomes more pleasing than if it were diffused through a long period of time. Thus, for instance, if one were to put the Oedipus of Sophocles into as many verses as the Iliad, Fit would be less pleasing]. ¹ Again, the imitation of the epopee has less unity [than tragic imitation]; of which this is an indication, that from any kind of [epic] imitation many tragedies may be produced.

La poëtique d'Aristote (André Dacier, 1692) (OCR draft) Experimental (André Dacier's French translation of Aristotle's Poetics, published in 1692.) — 26.12 focus

Elle a encore ce grand avantage, qu'elle eſt moins étendue, & qu'elle parvient en moins de temps à la fin de ſon imitation. Or ce qui eſt ſerré eſt bien plus agreable, & touche bien plus vivement que ce qui eſt diffus & affoibli par la longueur du temps. On ſeroit convaincu de cette verité, ſi on mettoit l'Edipe de Sophocle en au tant de vers, qu'en a l'Iliade.

9.

Notes on the current edition

Poetics

1. See p. 39, Note.

Commentary

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

3. mvp-aristotle-comment-1081

οὐκ αἰσθανομένων, scil. τῶν θεατῶν, understood from πρὸς ἅπαντα (see on 6, 1449 b 26 ).

3. mvp-aristotle-comment-1082

1461b30 προσθῇ: used absolutely in the sense of 'adds something' ( comp. 24, 1460 a18 ).

3. mvp-aristotle-comment-1083

1461b31 κινοῦνται: for the change of number see on λέγει in 21, 1457 b 19 .

3. mvp-aristotle-comment-1084

1461b31_2 οἱ φαῦλοι αὐληταὶ: i.e. indifferent flute-players, in their anxiety to make the music intelligible, accompany it by a sort of pantomimic movement of the body. According to Theophrastus ( fr. 92 Wimmer ) this combination of music and pantomime originated in Sicily :

Θεόφραστος πρῶτόν φησιν Ἄνδρωνα τὸν Καταναῖον αὐλητὴν κινήσεις καὶ ῥυθμοὺς ποιῆσαι τῷ σώματι αὐλοῦντα (ὅθεν σικελίζειν τὸ ὀρχεῖσθαι παρὰ τοῖς παλαιοῖς), μεθ᾽ ὃν Κλεόλαν τὸν Θηβαῖον.

Other references to it will be found in Sittl, Die Gebärden der Gr. u. Röm. p. 244. δίσκον μιμεῖσθαι seems to mean 'to imitate the act of throwing a quoit'.

3. mvp-aristotle-comment-1085

1461b32 Σκύλλαν αὐλῶσιν, 'play music descriptive of Scylla'. Aristotle may be referring to the dithyramb mentioned in 15, 1454 a31 ; but the probability is that he is thinking rather of a purely instrumental piece of music (see on 1, 1447 a15 ) on the same subject. In the Greek αὐλεῖν τινα = δι᾽ αὐλήσεως μιμεῖσθαί τινα, in the same way as ὀρχεῖσθαί τινα = δι᾽ ὀρχήσεως μιμεῖσθαί τινα.

4. mvp-aristotle-comment-1086

1461b34 Μυννίσκος. On Mynniscus of Chalcis (the protagonist in some of the later plays of Aeschylus) and his younger contemporary, Callipides, see Völker, Diss. Halens. 4 pp. 153, 177. In calling Callipides an 'ape' Mynniscus may have meant no more than this, that his acting was so exaggerated as to be ridiculous and a mere caricature, the ape being a sort of caricature of humanity ( comp. Top. 3. 2, 117 b 17

σκοπεῖν δὲ καὶ εἰ ἐπὶ τὸ γελοιότερον εἴη ὅμοιον, καθάπερ ὁ πίθηκος τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ

4. mvp-aristotle-comment-1087

1461b35 Πινδάρου. Nothing further is known of this actor ( Völker l.c. p. 155 ).

1461b35_2

5. mvp-aristotle-comment-1088

σχημάτων: the attitudes or postures assumed by the dancer. In the dance, which, it is to be remembered, was a species of acting (see on 1, 1447 a27 ), σχῆμα had the technical sense explained by Plutarch, Qu. conv. 9. 15, 747 C-E

ἡ γὰρ ὄρχησις ἔκ τε κινήσεων καὶ σχέσεων συνέστηκεν, ὡς τὸ μέλος τῶν φθόγγων καὶ τῶν διαστημάτων· ἐνταῦθα δ᾽ αἱ μοναὶ πέρατα τῶν κινήσεών εἰσι. φοράς μὲν οὖν τὰς κινήσεις ὀνομάζουσι, σχήματα δὲ σχέσεις καὶ διαθέσεις, εἰς ἃς φερομέναι τελευτῶσιν αἱ κινήσεις, ὅταν Ἀπόλλωνος ἢ Πανὸς τινος Βάκχης σχῆμα διαθέντες ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος γραφικῶς τοῖς εἴδεσιν

ἐπιμένωσι . 26. 1461 30-1462 12 355

εν ὀρχήσει τὸ μὲν σχῆμα μιμητικόν ἐστι μορφῆς καὶ ἰδέας, καὶ πάλιν ἡ φορὰ πάθους τινὸς ἐμφαντικὸν ἢ πράξεως ἢ δυνάμεως

( comp. Sommerbrodt, Scaenica p. 216 ).

1462a1

6. mvp-aristotle-comment-1089

1462a ὑποκριτικῆς: see on 19, 1456 b 10 .

6. mvp-aristotle-comment-1090

1462a6 σημείοις: i.e. the significant movements, of hand or head for instance, by which the spoken word may be accompanied ( comp. Aristoxenus p. 411, 13 Marquard , and Ath. 628 D ; see also Sommerbrodt l. c. p. 213 ).

6. mvp-aristotle-comment-1091

1462a6_2 ῥαψῳδοῦντα. The ῥαψῳδός is tacitly assumed to be a kind of ὑποκριτής (see on 5, 1449 a15 ).

6. mvp-aristotle-comment-1092

1462a7 Σωσίστρατος ... Μνασίθεος. Nothing further is known of either. It is evident that the one was a rhapsodist and the other a professional singer.

6. mvp-aristotle-comment-1093

1462a7_2 διᾴδοντα. As Tyrwhitt (quoting Theocritus 5. 22 ) points out, διάδειν is ' certatim sive in certamine canere'; it implies that Mnasitheus sang, no doubt as a κιθαρῳδός, in an ἀγών, i.e. in a public performance in the theatre. The word is explained in the Lexicon in Bekker's Anecdota 37,

διάσασθαι τὸ διαμιλλήσασθαι ἐν ᾠδῇ τινι.

The same idea of competition is found in διαθεῖν, διακολακεύεσθαι, διαπίνειν, etc. Gomperz aptly compares the saying ascribed to Diogenes the Cynic ( Stob. Fl. 4. 112 ), Διογένης ἔλεγε διαπαλαίοντας μὲν πολλοὺς ὁρᾶν καὶ διατρέχοντας, διακαλοκαγαθιζομένους δὲ οὔ.

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

4. mvp-aristotle-comment-655

26.3 4. Car comme ſi les ſpectateurs ne pouvoient y rien comprendre, ſi elle n'expoſoit tout à leurs yeux, ceux qui la reprefentent font beaucoup de geſtes & de mouvemens pour la rendre plus ſenſible.]¹

5. mvp-aristotle-comment-656

26.3 5. De même à peu prés que font les méchans joüeurs de flute qui se roulent pour imiter le mouvement d'un Palet, ou qui tiraillent le Chef de la bande, quand ils joüent la Scylla.]²

6. mvp-aristotle-comment-657

26.4 6. C'est le reproche que les anciens Comediens faisoient aux plus jeunes.]³

7. mvp-aristotle-comment-658

26.4 7. Car ſur ce que Callippide étoit exceſſif dans ſes geftes, Muniscus l'appelloit le ſinge.]⁴

8. mvp-aristotle-comment-659

26.4 8. De forte qu'à ce compte la Tragedie feroit auprés de l'Epopée, ce que ces derniers Acteurs font auprés des premiers.]⁵

9. mvp-aristotle-comment-660

26.5 9. On foûtient donc que l'Epopée étant faite pour les plus honnètes gens.]⁶

10. mvp-aristotle-comment-661

26.6 10. Mais premierement tout ce qu'on vient de dire contre la Tragedie n'est pas contre l'art du Poëte, c'est contre celuy de l'Acteur.]⁷

11. mvp-aristotle-comment-662

26.6 11. Outre que ce défaut n'est pas moins commun à ceux qui recitent un Poeme Epique, comme Softrate, ou qui le chantent comme Mnefitheus d'Opunte.]⁸

12. mvp-aristotle-comment-663

26.6 12. Car les uns & les autres accompagnent leur recit ou leur chant de geſtes auſſi outrez.]⁹

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

264. mvp-aristotle-comment-264

NOTE 264. P. 132.

26.3 AS IF THE AUDIENCE, WITHOUT THE AID OF ACTION, &c.—

Ὡς γαρ ἐκ αισθανομένων, ἀν μη ΑΥΤΟΣ ΠΡΟΣΘΗΙ, πολλην κίνησιν κινενται

. This wound has been sufficiently probed. When I found, that the

"medica manus"

of Mr. Toup had been tried upon it, I looked, at least, for the

"salubres Ambrosiae succos, et odoriferam panaceam,"

if not for the precious Dictamnus, that would entirely heal it. ¹ He proposed to read—

ὠν μη ΑΥΛΟΣ ΠΡΟΣΗ

. I should be very sorry to do any injustice to the emendation of so masterly a Greek scholar; but I am obliged to confess, that I do not understand it. "The imitators have recourse to every kind of motion, just as if the audience were not able to understand (or, to hear) them, without the addition or accompaniment of a flute." How any sense can be made of this, or of any other fair version of the passage, so corrected, I cannot discover. The emendation, surely, requires to be explained, at least; and if Mr. Toup gave any explanation in his letter to Mr. Winstanley, it is to be wished, that the learned editor had communicated it to the public in his note.

As far as I can judge, from a comparison of the different senses of the word with its etymology, the common idea, which runs through and connects them all, is that of excess, or, perhaps, more exactly, of offensive, disgusting, or burdensome, by excess, of some kind or other. ²³

It is some comfort, however, that the general meaning of the passage seems liable to little or no difficulty; and, accordingly, in that, all the commentators, I think, are agreed, however widely they may differ as to the reading.

265. mvp-aristotle-comment-265

NOTE 265. P. 132.

26.6 LIKE BAD FLUTE-PLAYERS, WHO WHIRL THEMSELVES ROUND, WHEN THEY WOULD IMITATE THE MOTION OF THE DISCUS—.

This is one of those antique curiosities, which we stare at, without knowing very well what to make of it. —

Αν ΔΙΣΚΟΝ δεη μιμείσθαι

. We should think it very strange, if we were told of a flute-player having occasion to imitate a quoit. But we are not to understand this of a mere instrumental solo, but of a performer accompanying words sung by a Chorus, (as appears from the mention of the Coryphæus,) and endeavouring, in an absurd manner, to express them. The antient

Αυλητης

, or

Tibicen

, was not, it seems, a mere sedentary performer, like those of a modern orchestra. He accompanied the Chorus with his person, as well as with his instrument, and seems to have paraded about the stage, in a pompous dress; to have made a part of the

ὄψις

, or show, and to have joined in all the turns, and returns, and various evolutions, of the choral dance. Hence the description of Horace : A. P. 214.

Sic priscae motumque et luxuriam addidit arti
Tibicen, traxitque VAGUS per pulpita vestem.

Lucian, in his Harmonides , describing the requisites of a good

Αυλητης

, mentions, among the rest, —

και ΒΑΙΝΕΙΝ ἐν ῥυθμῳ

. ⁴ The great masters, no doubt, respected themselves, and confined their motion to the dignity of a sort of rhythmic strut. But Aristotle here, is describing the tricks of the

φαυλοι

φορτικοι

performers. Such a performer might have occasion, or rather take occasion, to imitate the whirling or rolling of a disc, if the subject, for example, of the choral song chanced to be the story of Apollo and Hyacinthus; which is mentioned by Lucian in a long list of fabulous subjects, enumerated as a part of the knowledge requisite to an accomplished pantomimic dancer. Or, the subject might be taken from Homer, Od. 6. 186, &c.

Κυλιόμενοι

. Dacier , in his note, translates this, "rolling themselves upon the ground." This would be

φορτικον

indeed. Yet in this idea he follows Victorius ; who enters into a discussion, of some length, to prove that

κυλιομενοι

can mean nothing but rolling on the ground. Nor will he allow the difficulty of doing this while they were playing to be a sufficient objection. Certainly, the usual and proper sense of the word is on his side. But it was natural enough, surely, to apply to the motion imitating, the term proper to the motion imitated. ⁵

266. mvp-aristotle-comment-266

NOTE 266. P. 132.

26.6 AND PULL THE CORYPHÆUS WHEN SCYLLA IS THE SUBJECT.

Έλκοντες τον Κορυφαιον

. — To imitate Scylla, —

"naves in saxa trahentem,"

as Virgil has expressed it. But it is not easy to see, how the performer, at least while he was playing, could well spare a hand for this operation. This was even worse than what we call humouring a catch; when, for instance, a singer who is performing Purcell's "Fie, nay prithee, John" thinks it necessary to collar his neighbour.

Commentary on the Poetics (Henry James Pye, 1792) (OCR draft) (Henry James Pye's 1792 English commentary, aligned to the Kassel reference edition.) focus

26.1. mvp-aristotle-comment-126 26.6

TRAGEDY ALSO AS WELL AS THE EPOPEE MAY ATTAIN ITS END WITHOUT REPRESENTATION, FOR WE CAN JUDGE OF ITS MERIT BY READING ONLY.

THIS is strictly true; and perhaps there are few good tragedies in which the effect is not in general, at least as forcible in the closet as on the stage, even in the modern theatre. In the strongly impaffioned parts, where every other confideration of effect is lost in feeling, we are wonderfully moved by the natural efforts of a Garrick and a Siddons; but this is independent of the stage effect, and would be as strong in a room as on the stage. But the appearance of scene-shifters, the panting [M] dead bodies, and other circumstances of the same nature that must necessarily attend the representation, rather weaken than encrease the force of the illufion; and the exception just made can extend only to few performers. There are not many actors who are able to give us in the representation, the ideas we form of the characters of Shakespear from reading his plays. Mr. Jackson, who to the highest merit in one, adds an accurate and elegant taste in all the polite arts, says, 'I have seldom any pleasure from the representation of Shakespear's plays, unless it be • from some scenes of conversation merely without paffion. The speeches [M] Note II. Chap. xx. 3 Y 2 ' which

' which have any thing affecting in the expression are generally so overacted as to cease to be " the mirror of nature [в]." There is in fact always fomething wanting in the apparatus of the drama, I mean especially in tragedy[c], to keep up the delusion. Here the painter has the advantage; he has only, it is true, a point of time to imitate, but this point he can imitate accurately. He can paint the horse starting at the dead bodies in the field of Bofworth or Agincourt; he has no need of rofin for the artificial and almost ridiculous flash of lightning which precedes the thunder of the scene-shifter; his imitative corruscations seem really to divide the clouds and threaten the wretched head of the night-wandering monarch. He can also stain the bosom of Juliet with blood without exciting our disgust, and shew us the bleeding rings from which the eyes of Glofter have been torn without raising too violent and offenfive a sensation of horror. If fuch is the effect of the modern theatrical apparatus on the interest of the drama, what must have been that of the ancient with all its exaggerated and unnatural appendages? Increasing the improbability in the strongest degree, and robbing the representation of its chief effect, the natural expression of the paffions, by the display of their operation on the human form and countenance through the exertions of a good actor. If however there are few actors who are able to do justice to the characters of Shakespear, there are also few other dramatic characters who [B] Letter XIV. [c] This is not fo much the cafe with comedy. A handsome room, a street, or even a view of St. James's Park, may be represented accurately enough. If the apparatus fails in comedy, it is generally not from deficiency but the contrary. See Note VIII. Chap. xv. do

POETIC OF ARISTOTLE. do not owe much of their merit to the exertion of the performers in general. It is not every play that justifies the observation which is the subject of this note. Dr. Francklin, in the preface to his excellent tranflation of Sophocles, observes in commendation of the ancient mask, 'That the actor was not, as on our stage, left at liberty to murder fine language and sentiment by wrong accent and false pronunciation, by hurrying over some parts with precipitancy and drawling out others into a tedious monotony, a good voice and a tolerable ear were all that the poet required of him.' Dr.Francklin forgets that this argument proves too much; since applied to a good actor the reverse is equally true. Would it be no disadvantage to dramatic effect to hide the speaking features of a Garrick behind a deformed vizor; or distort the pathetic tones of Mrs. Siddons by a speaking trumpet? Indeed the effect was tried on Mr. Garrick. The only character of Shakespear in which he could not fucceed was Othello. What must have been loft from his not being able to mark by his expreffive countenance, the conflict of the various passions in his bosom while Iago was working on his jealoufy! I will conclude this note with the opinion of an eminent critic on the subject. A fluctuation of passion and refined sentiments would have ' made no figure on the Grecian stage. Imagine the discording scene between Brutus and Caffius in Julius Cæfar to be there exhibited, or the ' handkerchief in the Moor of Venice; how flight would be their effect, when pronounced in a mask and through a pipe! The workings of nature upon the countenance, and the inflexions of voice so deeply ، ' affecting in modern representation, would have been entirely loft. If a great

A COMMENTARY ON THE CHAP. XXVI. ، a great genius had arifen with talents for composing a pathetic tragedy ' in perfection, he would have made no figure in Greece. HOME'S Sketches of the History of Man, Book 1. Sk. v. 2.

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

1. mvp-aristotle-comment-204

Ritter, cap. 26 § 1

Epica poesis et tragica ita secum conferuntur ut, refutatis quae epopoeiae palmam deferre videantur argumentis, explicetur quibus rebus tragoedia antecellat epopoeiam. SA nam Quae hoc capite dicta legimus, ad auctorem quod attinet, cum illis quas modo ex aureo Aristotelis libro secrevimus sordibus, etiam haec aut stabunt aut concident. quemadmodum in praecedentibus tota quasi quaestionum solutionumque doctrina pertractatur, sic nunc singulare quoddam et nobile πρόβλημα, utrum genus poesis praestantius sit, epicumne an tragicum, solvitur. sed quamquam ex iis quae de νοθείᾳ capitis praegressi dicta sunt, sponte consequitur hoc quoque caput vicesimum sextum Aristoteli tribui non posse, sed idem cum vicesimo quinto ad eundem incertumque auctorem referendum esse, illud tamen sic se habere ex his praeterea indiciis colligitur. 1. disputandi genus per totam hanc explicationem arte caret et magno philosopho indignum est. 2. quae docentur magnam partem hausta sunt ex prioribus et male repetita. 3. nonnulla prioribus a vero Aristotele expositis repugnant. 4. enuntiatorum structura grammatica aliquotiens laborat. 5. voces aliquot insunt a dictione Aristotelis alienae. haec vitia interim sub unum conspectum collecta statim, ubi ad singula accesserimus enodanda, detegere conabimur. πότερον δὲ βελτίων - διαπορήσειεν ἄν τις: iustum vinculum deesse, quo haec antecedentibus adnectantur, manifestum est. nimirum interpolator alieno operi sua bis imperite et sinistre intexuit, primum (c. 25, 1) sic: περὶ δὲ προβλημάτων καὶ λύσεων ὧδ' ἂν θεωροῦσι γένοιτ' ἂν φανερόν, secundum (c. 26, 1) sic: πότερον δὲ βελτίων ἡ ἐποποιικὴ μίμησις ἢ ἡ τραγική, διαπορήσειεν ἄν τις. • .. εἰ γὰρ ἡ ἧττον φορτική βελτίων-ἡ ἅπαντα μιμουμένη φορτική: condicionalis enuntiatio, nam si minus molesta (imitatio) melior, talis autem (melior) est quae melioribus convenit spectatoribus, non eo consilio praemittitur, ut haec altera, in aperto est eam quae omnia imitatur molestam esse, illi obnoxia inde colligatur, sed post condicionalem sequitur novum pronuntiatum quod per se non minus certum quam praegressum interim proponitur. Germanice convertas: denn wenn (einer Seits) die minder überladene (Darstellungsweise) besser ist .., so ist (andrer Seits) klar, dass die alles darstellende überladen ist, difficile et obscurum eloquendi genus agnoscas. φορτική μίμησις est quae multa molitur ad finem suum consequendum, quam etiam περιεργαζομένην appellaveris. vid. §. 3. alterum quod notamus pertinet ad verba μίμησις μιμουμένη, ubi μίμησις universe pro poesi dicitur, μιμουμένη autem de ea imitatione in qua persona alterius ab imitante suscipitur. ὡς γὰρ οὐκ αἰσθανομένων κτλ. iam ostendere conatur primum φορτικὴν esse quae omnia imitando peragat, tum talem esse artem tragicam, postremo τὴν φορτικὴν sive molestam simul esse peiorem ( χείρονα). in proximis ter subiecta obscure et vitiose pro malo huius hominis more significantur: nam ad αἰσθανομένων cogitatione supplendum est τῶν θεατῶν, ad αὐτὸς is qui opus quoddam imitativum exhibet, ad κινοῦνται ii qui id opus agunt. prae ceteris nomen αὐτὸς vitiose positum est, non minus quam c.6,8. οὐκ ὀλίγοι αὐτῶν, ubi interpolatorem agnovimus. - οἷον οἱ φαῦλοι αὐληταί κυλίομενοι, ἂν δίσκον δέῃ μιμεῖσθαι: tibicines disci motum non sonis tibiarum sed corpore volvendo sive iactando imitaturi alienam operam interponunt. κυλιόμενοι dictum est ὑπερβολικῶς de iis tibicinibus qui corpus suum inter canendum iactant et torquent, non de volutantibus et in rotae modum se vertentibus: id enim fieri non posse manifestum est. ipsa verbi κυλίεσθαι forma pro κυλίνδεσθαι apud poetas Alexandro Magno aetate minores, ut apud Theocritum Idyll. 24, 18. Callimachum in Apollin. Del. v. 33. et plures epigrammatum scriptores, non raro invenitur. conf. Iacobsii Notae crit. in Antholog. p. 139. 590. 787. sed in prosa oratione illa forma nunquam invaluit, quamquam nonnulla eius vestigia etiam in hac reperiuntur, ut apud Porphyr. de Abstin. II, 52. οἷς μέντοι ὁ βίος ἔξω κυλίεται. καὶ ἕλκοντες τὸν κορυφαῖον, ἂν Σκύλλαν αὐλῶσιν: tibicines, qua tibicines sunt, solo tibiarum concentu Scyllam imitari par est, mali autem sonis non satis confidentes corporis motus adhibent, ita ut coryphaeum Scyllam effugere nitentem trahant. Scyllam hanc esse fabulam Euripideam c. 15, 5. memoratam non est cur dubitemus affirmare.

2. mvp-aristotle-comment-205

Ritter, cap. 26 § 2

ἡ μὲν οὖν τραγῳδία τοιαύτη ἐστίν: tragoedia talis est quae omnia imitando peragat ideoque molestae imitationis crimen subeat. τοιαύτη ad praegressa pertinere, non ad subsequentia, ex καὶ particulae ὡς addita liquet: quemadmodum etiam priores de posterioribus actoribus sentiebant, h. e. tragoedia omnia imitando exsequitur ; idem recentiores tragicos actores committere seniores credebant. ὡς λίαν - Καλλιππίδην ἐκάλει : Callippides nobilis tragoediarum actor Socratis aequalis erat. vid. Xenoph. Conviv. c. 3, 11. imperia remigibus dabat, cum Alcibiades triumphans Athenas rediret civibus suis reconciliatus. Athen. XII. p. 535 D. ea agendi arte excelluit, ut quamvis eodem in loco permaneret tamen currere videretur, unde proverbio locum dedit, vid. Sueton. in Tiberio c. 38. quem cursitare ac ne cubiti quidem mensuram progredi proverbio Graeco notatum est. conf. Cic. ad Attic. XIII, 12. Plutarch. Ages. c. 21. Apophthegm Lacon. p. 212 F (I. 2. p. 848 apud Wyttenb.), idem ubi quaerit bellone an pace clariores fuerint Athenienses p. 348 E et F (II. 1. p. 429). τραγικοὶ δὲ αὐτοῖς ὑποκριταί, καὶ Νικόστρατοι καὶ Καλλιππίδαι καὶ Μηνίσκοι καὶ Θεόδωροι· καὶ Πῶλοι, συνίτωσαν. Myniscum sive Meniscum Chalcidensem Callippide natu maiorem fuisse, id et hic locus docet et vita Aeschyli a Robortello aucta, unde hunc Aeschyli histrionem fuisse accepimus. τοιαύτη δὲ δόξα καὶ περὶ Πινδάρου ἦν: qui hic memoratur, fuisse eum histrionem tragicum nimia actione insignem verba ipsa produnt: nomen autem a librariis corruptum videtur. fortasse fuit περὶ Θεοδώρου, sed vide quam putide diligens in re sane minuta fuerit et quam sinistre haec verba prioribus addiderit. Theodori mentionem facit Plutarchus loco ante transcripto et in Praecept. gerend. reipubl. p. 816 F (IV. I. 274), Aristoteles in Rhetor. III, 2 sub init. ὡς δὲ οὗτοι ἔχουσι πρὸς αὐτούς: οὗτοι designat Callippiden et omnes in agendo nimios, αὐτούς pertinet ad eos qui modice agebant, ut Myniscus faciebat. ἡ ὅλη τέχνη πρὸς τὴν ἐποποιίαν ἔχει: ἡ ὅλη τέχνη poesis tragica appellatur, cum proxime ante singuli quidam tragici histriones enumerati essent. οὐδὲν δέον ται τῶν σχημάτων: quasi praeteriens causam memorat, quam fautores epopoeiae in suae sententiae subsidium afferant: figuris nihil egent. editores Aldo auctore legunt δι' ὃ οὐδὲν δέονται τῶν σχημάτων, vel διὸ cet. vel οἱ οὐδὲν cet., sed neque o ἳ neque διὸ in ullo codice adhuc repertum est.

3. mvp-aristotle-comment-206

Ritter, cap. 26 § 3

πρῶτον μὲν οὐ τῆς ποιητικῆς κτλ. tragoedia speciose adhuc accusata iam ita defenditur, ut primum ab illis accusatoribus non poeticam sed histrionum artem peti, deinde non quemcumque imitandi modum repudiandum esse doceatur. ἐπεὶ ἔστι περιεργάζεσθαι τοῖς σημείοις καὶ ῥαψῳδοῦντα: iniqua ista tragoediae accusatio eodem iure intendi potest in epopoeiam: nam carminis epici recitator ( ὁ ῥαψῳδός) et ipse modum excedere potest nimia manuum corporisque iactatione. rhapsodus σχήμασι (Tanz - Figuren) quidem non utitur, sed motibus simplicioribus gestibusque ( σημείοις) non minus egredi modum potest. ὅπερ ἐποίει Σωσίστρατος κτλ. proprium est huius scriptoris laudare auctores admodum obscuros. de Sosistrato nihil aliunde accepimus, neque de Mnasitheo Opuntio: illum poemata epica nimio cum gestu recitasse, hunc lyrica decantasse in certaminibus musicis ob hunclocum suspicari licet. pro priore ἐποίει codices qui memorantur omnes έστι praebent, quod ex versu antegresso forte huc delatum verbum genuinum et ab Aldo restitutum de sede sua deiecit. ceterum repetitum continuo ἐποίει nonnullam auctoris infantiam arguit. εἶτα οὐδὲ κίνησις - ὄρχησις: non id vitio verti tragoediae potest quod multo motu utitur, sed nonnisi motus et saltatio deteriorum vituperanda est. illa εἴπερ μηδ' ὄρχησις (si ne saltatio quidem omnis despicienda est) aetatem prodere videntur, cum saltatio obsolescere et contemni inciperet. - μιμουμένων: exspectamus μιμουμένοις, sed in conformanda oratione hic homo mira lascivia grassari solet. conf. c. 25, 18. οὐ πινόντων οἶνον. c. 26, 1. οὐκ αἰσθανο μένων. – διὰ γὰρ τοῦ ἀναγινώσκειν φανερὰ ὁποία τις ἐστίν: hausta haec sunt ex loco male intellecto c. 14, 1. conf. Comment. in c. 14, 1. et in c. 6, 19. καὶ

Aristotle Poetics 26.12

Thomas Twining (Translator)