Page:History of the Literature of Ancient Greece (Müller) 2ed.djvu/226

204 HISTORY OF THE sing the dithyramb, the beautiful strain of Dionysus*": from which expressions it is probable that in the time of Archilochus, one of a band of revellers sometimes sang the dithyramb, while the others joined him with their voices. There is, however, no trace of a choral performance of the dithyramb at this time. Choruses had been already introduced in Greece, but in connexion with the worship of Apollo, and they danced to the cithara ((poppi-yE,), the instrument used in this worship. In the worship of Dionysus, on the other hand, an irregular band of revellers, led by a flute-plajer, was the prominent feature t. Arion, according to the concurrent testimonies of the historians and grammarians of antiquity, was the first who practised a chorus in the representation of a dithyramb, and therefore gave a regular and dignified character to this song, which before had probably consisted of irregular expressions of excited feeling, and of inarticulate ejacula- tions. This improvement was made at Corinth, the rich and flourish- ing city of Periander ; hence Pindar in bis eulogy of Corinth exclaims : " Whence, but from Corinth, arose the pleasing festivals of Dionysus, with the dithyramb, of which the prize is an ox J?" The choruses which sang the dithyramb were circular choruses (kvkXioi x°P°0 '■> so called, because they danced in a circle round the altar on which the sacrifice was burning. Accordingly, in the time of Aristophanes, the expressions " dithyrambic poet, and " teacher of cyclian choruses' (KvicXiohdcMTKaXog) , were nearly synonymous §. With regard to the subjects of the dithyrambs of Arion we know nothing, except that he introduced the tragic style into them ||. This proves that he had dis- tinguished a choral song of a gloomy character, which referred to the dangers and sufferings of Dionysus, from the ordinary dithyramb of the joyous kind ; as will be shown in a subsequent chapter^. With regard to the musical accompaniment of the dithyrambs of Arion, it may be remarked, that the cithara was the principal instrument used in it, and not the flute, as in the boisterous comus. Arion was himself the first cithara-player of his time : and the exclusive fame of the Les- bian musicians from Terpander downwards was maintained by him 'Qs t^ioowanv avaxro; xaXcni V^dp^at fiiXos Oiaa oiDvpaftfiov o'i'vcu trvympuvvaitlus (ppiv&S- ap. Athen. xiv. p. G28. f See ch. iii. § 5. % Pind. 01. xiii. 18. (25.), where the recent editors give a full and accurate ex- planation of the matter. § Hence Arion is said to have been the son of Cycleus. | Tpayixo; rpo-iro; Suidas in 'Apiav. Concerning the satyrs whom Arion is said to have used on this occasion, see below, chap. xxi. ^[ Chap. xxi. The finest specimen of a dithyramb of the joyful kind is the frag- ment of a dithyramb by Pindar, in Dion. Hal. de Comp. Verb. 22. This dithy- ramb was intended for the great Dionysia (ra piyaXa or to. uittu Atovvtria), which are described in it as a great vernal festival, at the season " when the chamber of the Hours opens, and the nectarian plants feel the approach of the fragrant spring."