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Aristotle · Poetics §12.1-12.10

Quantitative Parts of Tragedy and Choric Songs

Passage 13 of 28 · Greek

Summary

The author defines and explains the quantitative and constituent parts of tragedy, including the prologue, episode, exode, and choric song along with its sub-divisions.

§12.1μέρη δὲ τραγῳδίας οἷς μὲν ὡς εἴδεσι δεῖ χρῆσθαι πρότερον εἴπομεν, κατὰ δὲ τὸ ποσὸν καὶ εἰς ἃ διαιρεῖται κεχωρισμένα τάδε ἐστίν, πρόλογος ἐπεισόδιον ἔξοδος χορικόν,
We have previously spoken of the parts of tragedy which should be used as qualitative elements, but according to quantity and the separate divisions into which tragedy is divided, they are as follows: prologue, episode, exode, and choric song.
§12.2καὶ τούτου τὸ μὲν πάροδος τὸ δὲ στάσιμον,
And of the choric song, one part is the parode, the other the stasimon.
§12.3κοινὰ μὲν ἁπάντων ταῦτα, ἴδια δὲ τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς σκηνῆς καὶ κομμοί.
These are common to all tragedies, but the songs from the stage and the kommoi are peculiar to some.
§12.4ἔστιν δὲ πρόλογος μὲν μέρος ὅλον τραγῳδίας τὸ πρὸ χοροῦ παρόδου,
A prologue is a complete part of tragedy preceding the entrance (parode) of the chorus.
§12.5ἐπεισόδιον δὲ μέρος ὅλον τραγῳδίας τὸ μεταξὺ ὅλων χορικῶν μελῶν,
An episode is a complete part of tragedy between complete choric songs.
§12.6ἔξοδος δὲ μέρος ὅλον τραγῳδίας μεθ’ ὃ οὐκ ἔστι χοροῦ μέλος·
An exode is a complete part of tragedy after which there is no song of the chorus.
§12.7χορικοῦ δὲ πάροδος μὲν ἡ πρώτη λέξις ὅλη χοροῦ,
Of the choric song, the parode is the entire first utterance of the chorus.
§12.8στάσιμον δὲ μέλος χοροῦ τὸ ἄνευ ἀναπαίστου καὶ τροχαίου,
A stasimon is a song of the chorus without anapestic and trochaic meters.
§12.9κομμὸς δὲ θρῆνος κοινὸς χοροῦ καὶ ἀπὸ σκηνῆς.
A kommos is a lamentation common to both the chorus and those on the stage.
§12.10μέρη δὲ τραγῳδίας οἷς μὲν ὡς εἴδεσι δεῖ χρῆσθαι πρότερον εἴπαμεν, κατὰ δὲ τὸ ποσὸν καὶ εἰς ἃ διαιρεῖται κεχωρισμένα ταῦτ’ ἐστίν.
We have previously spoken of the parts of tragedy which should be used as qualitative elements, but according to quantity and the separate divisions into which it is divided, these are they.

Notes

  1. §12.1οἷς μὲν ὡς εἴδεσι δεῖ χρῆσθαι — The relative pronoun `οἷς` is in the dative case because it is governed by the verb `χρῆσθαι`. The phrase `ὡς εἴδεσι` means "as forms" or "as qualitative parts," referring back to the six qualitative parts of tragedy discussed in Chapter 6 (plot, character, etc.).
  2. §12.3ἴδια δὲ τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς σκηνῆς καὶ κομμοί — The adjective `ἴδια` is used predicatively with the subjects `τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς σκηνῆς` ("those from the stage") and `κομμοί` ("lamentations"), with the copula verb `ἐστίν` being omitted. It stands in contrast to `κοινά` ("common to all"), indicating elements that are unique or peculiar only to certain tragedies.
  3. §12.8στάσιμον δὲ μέλος χοροῦ τὸ ἄνευ ἀναπαίστου καὶ τροχαίου — The preposition `ἄνευ` governs the genitives `ἀναπαίστου` and `τροχαίου`, meaning "without anapestic and trochaic [meters]." This excludes the marching meters typically used for the entrance or exit of the chorus, defining the stasimon as a stationary song.

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Poetics §12.1-12.10. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg034.humanitext-grc2:12.1-12.10

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