a smaller history of greece-第60节
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oubled with family dissensions。 Iophon； his son by an Athenian wife； and therefore his legitimate heir； was jealous of the affection manifested by his father for his grandson Sophocles； the offspring of another son； Ariston； whom he had had by a Sicyonian woman。 Fearing lest his father should bestow a great part of his property upon his favourite； Iophon summoned him before the Phratores； or tribesmen； on the ground that his mind was affected。 The old man's only reply was〃If I am Sophocles I am not beside myself； and if I am beside myself I am not Sophocles。〃 Then taking up his OEDIPUS AT COLONUS； which he had lately written； but had not yet brought out； he read from it a beautiful passage； with which the judges were so struck that they at once dismissed the case。 He died shortly afterwards； in B。C。 406； in his 90th year。 As a poet Sophocles is universally allowed to have brought the drama to the greatest perfection of which it is susceptible。 His plays stand in the just medium between the sublime but unregulated flights of AEschylus； and the too familiar scenes and rhetorical declamations of Euripides。 His plots are worked up with more skill and care than the plots of either of his great rivals。 Sophocles added the last improvement to the form of the drama by the introduction of a third actor； a change which greatly enlarged the scope of the action。 The improvement was so obvious that it was adopted by AEschylus in his later plays； but the number of three actors seems to have been seldom or never exceeded。
EURIPIDES was born in the island of Salamis； in B。C。 480 his parents having been among those who fled thither at the time of the invasion of Attics by Xerxes。 He studied rhetoric under Prodicus； and physics under Anaxagoras and he also lived on intimate terms with Socrates。 In 441 he gained his first prize； and he continued to exhibit plays until 408； the date of his Orestes。 Soon after this he repaired to the court of Macedonia； at the invitation of king Archelaus； where he died two years afterwards at the age of 74 （B。C。 406）。 Common report relates that he was torn to pieces by the king's dogs； which； according to some accounts； were set upon him by two rival poets out of envy。 In treating his characters and subjects Euripides often arbitrarily departed from the received legends； and diminished the dignity of tragedy by depriving it of its ideal character； and by bringing it down to the level of every…day life。 His dialogue was garrulous and colloquial； wanting in heroic dignity； and frequently frigid through misplaced philosophical disquisitions。 Yet in spite of all these faults Euripides has many beauties； and is particularly remarkable for pathos； so that Aristotle calls him 〃the most tragic of poets。〃
Comedy received its full development at Athens from Cratinus； who lived in the age of Pericles。 Cratinus； and his younger contemporaries Eupolis and Aristophanes； were the three great poets of what is called the Old Attic Comedy。 The comedies of Cratinus and Eupolis are lost； but of Aristophanes； who was the greatest of the three； we have eleven dramas extant。 ARISTOPHANES was born about 444 B。C。 Of his private life we know positively nothing。 He exhibited his first comedy in 427； and from that time till near his death； which probably happened about 380； he was a frequent contributor to the Attic stage。 The OLD ATTIC COMEDY was a powerful vehicle for the expression of opinion； and most of the comedies of Aristophanes turned either upon political occurrences； or upon some subject which excited the interest of the Athenian public。 Their chief object was to excite laughter by the boldest and most ludicrous caricature； and provided that end was attained the poet seems to have cared but little about the justice of the picture。 Towards the end of the career of Aristophanes the unrestricted licence and libellous personality of comedy began gradually to disappear。 The chorus was first curtailed and then entirely suppressed； and thus made way for what is called the Middle Comedy； which had no chorus at all。 The latter still continued to be in some degree political； but persons were no longer introduced upon the stage under their real names； and the office of the chorus was very much curtailed。 It was； in fact； the connecting link between the Old Comedy and the New； or the Comedy of Manners。 The NEW COMEDY arose after Athens had become subject to the Macedonians。 Politics were now excluded from the stage； and the materials of the dramatic poet were derived entirely from the fictitious adventures of persons in private life。 The two most distinguished writers of this school were PHILEMON and MENANDER。 Philemon was probably born about the year 360 B。C。； and was either a Cilician or Syracusan； but came at an early age to Athens。 He is considered as the founder of the New Comedy； which was soon afterwards brought to perfection by his younger contemporary Menander。 The latter was an Athenian； and was born in B。C。 312。 He was drowned at the age of 52； whilst swimming in the harbour of Piraeus。 He wrote upwards of 100 comedies； of which only fragments remain； and the unanimous praise of posterity awakens our regret for the loss of one of the most elegant writers of antiquity。 The comedies； indeed； of Plautus and Terence may give us a general notion of the New Comedy of the Greeks； from which they were confessedly drawn； but there is good reason to suppose that the works even of the latter Roman writer fell far short of the wit and elegance of Menander。
The latter days of literary Athens were chiefly distinguished by the genius of her ORATORS and PHILOSOPHERS。 There were ten Attic orators； whose works were collected by the Greek grammarians； and many of whose orations have come down to us。 Their names are Antiphon； Andocides； Lysias； Isocrates； Isaeus； AEschines； Lycurgus； Demosthenes； Hyperides and Dinarchus。 ANTIPHON； the earliest of the ten was born B。C。 480。 He opened a school of rhetoric； and numbered among his pupils the historian Thucydides。 Antiphon was put to death in 411 B。C。 for the part which he took in establishing the oligarchy of the Four Hundred。
ANDOCIDES； who was concerned with Alcibiades in the affair of the Hermae； was born at Athens in B。C。 467； tend died probably about 391。
LYSIAS； also born at Athens in 458； was much superior to Andocides as an orator； but being a METIC or resident alien； he was not allowed to speak in the assemblies or courts of justice； and therefore wrote orations for others to deliver。
ISOCRATES was born in 436。 After receiving the instructions of some of the most celebrated sophists of the day； he became himself a speech…writer and professor of rhetoric； his weakly constitution and natural timidity preventing him from taking a part in public life。 He made away with himself in 338； after the fatal battle of Chaeronea； in despair； it is said； of his country's fate。 He took great pains with his compositions； and is reported to have spent ten； or； according to others； fifteen years over his Panegyric oration。
ISAEUS flourished between the end of the Peloponnesian war and the accession of Philip of Macedon。 He opened a school of rhetoric at Athens； and is said to have numbered Demosthenes among his pupils。 The orations of Isaeus were exclusively judicial； and the whole of the eleven which have come down to us turn on the subject of inheritances。
AESCHINES was born in the year 389； and he was at first a violent anti…Macedonian； but after his embassy along with Demosthenes and others to Philip's court； he was the constant advocate of peace； Demosthenes and AEschines now became the leading speakers on their respective sides； and the heat of political animosity soon degenerated into personal hatred。 In 343 Demosthenes charged AEschines with having received bribes from Philip during a second embassy； and the speech in which he brought forward this accusation was answered in another by AEschines。 The result of this charge is unknown； but it seems to have detracted from the popularity of AEschines。 We have already adverted to his impeachment of Ctesiphon； and the celebrated reply of Demosthenes in his speech DE CORONA。 After the banishment of AEschines on this occasion （B。C。 330）； he employed himself in teaching rhetoric at Rhodes。 He died in Samos in 314。 As an orator he was second only to Demosthenes。
Of the life of his great rival； DEMOSTHENES； we have already given some account。 The verdict of his contemporaries； ratified by posterity； has pronounced Demosthenes the greatest； orator that ever lived。 The principal element of his success must be traced in his purity of purpose； which gave to his arguments all the force of conscientious conviction。 The effect of his speeches was still further heightened by a wonderful and almost magic force of diction。 The grace and vivacity of his delivery are attested by the well…known anecdote of AEschines； when he read at Rhodes his speech against Ctesiphon。 His audience having expressed their surprise that he should have been defeated after such an oration 〃You would cease to wonder；〃 he remarked； 〃if you had heard Demosthenes。〃
The remaining three Attic orators； viz。 LYCURGUS； HYPERIDES； and DIN
