Classical Greek and Roman Drama (Critical Survey of Drama, Second Revised Edition)
The Dithyramb and the Origins of Greek Tragedy
Little is known about the origins of Greek tragedy. Anthropologists point to fertility rites, masked ceremonies, and other primitive rituals as containing the seeds of drama, but these phenomena, common to many early societies, in themselves do not adequately explain the unique evolution in Attica of a highly developed tragic form. In the absence of other credible information, historians must rely on the testimony of Aristotle, who discusses the origins of...
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