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On the Use of the Words Τραγῳδóς and κωμῳδóς
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 October 2009
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page 202 note 1 From these words are formed directly 
and 
and 
(the last abstract substantive not found, but no doubt existing). 
are both idiomatic, just as in English we can ‘teach’ both a class and a lesson. The spelling of these words and of 
is established by the metre in Ar. Eq. 507, 516 : Pax 734, 737, and so with 
in a fragment of the other Thesmophoriazusae. But metre is not decisive as to 
in Thesm. 30 or 
in Vesp. 1318, and in good Plato MSS. the spelling of both 
and 
varies. The forms in to are favoured by analogy, for the first part of words in 
usually gives the thing made, 
: but the grammarian Moeris says 
and 
, as against the usual 
and 
, is guaranteed by metre in Anth. P. 7. 708, ascribed to Dioscorides.
page 202 note 2 Compare 
and any other such words. A 
might compose his own verses, a 
his own verses and music accompanying, but this is in no way conveyed by the name, which only connotes the performance.
page 202 note 3 In Greek we may compare the datives 
(Ar. Hist. An. 9. 28, 2 : 6. 19. 4 : 8. 12. 10), meaning at the time of such and such a wind, when it is blowing, and the genitives 
in Thuc. 3. 23, 5 : in Latin Virg. Aen. 9. 668 pluvialibus' Haedis, Jur. 9. 68 aquilone Decembri, Tac. Ann. 3. 28. 3 paclet principe. Perhaps we may add Ar. Eq. 410 
, for a man cannot in strictness of speech be present at the 
, but only at the doing of something to them. 
, ete. are used as names of contests, e.g. 
Less similar but not wholly alien is the use of plural names, e.g. 
for the fish or vegetable market, the place where these things are sold. There is also clear affinity to the point we are illustrating in that common Latin and occasional Greek construction, by which a substantive or pronoun with a participle stands for something done to or by the subject in question. Thus 
(Antiphon 4 7) is perhaps in essence the same as 
. Aesch. Pers. 728 
: Herod. 8. 131 
are good examples of a large class. The best English parallel that occurs to me is the university slang by which we put e.g. ‘the Eights’ for the races in which boats so named take part; ‘the Eights are over,’ ‘I saw him at last year's Eights.’ Like 
, the boats stand for the performance, and the expression is at once local and temporal. College boards sometimes bear the notice ‘there will be no river to-day’: those who read it understand not that there will be no water in the river, but that the college boat will not go out. ‘River’ stands for ‘practice on the river.’ So ‘the Old Masters’ are (an exhibition of pictures by) the Old Masters: ‘is there to be an Old Masters this year?’ ‘The Christy Minstrels’ is at least half a place or performance. ‘Punch and Judy,’ ‘a Punch and Judy,’ is a performance ; sometimes perhaps the men and things necessary for it. There are very many such instances to be collected, were it worth while.
page 205 note 1 The use of 
for a satyrie play is partly parallel. See Ar. Thesm. 157 
C.I.G. 1. 1584 
along with 
and 
(for other cases in inscriptions of. A. Müller, Griech.Bühnenalt. p. 391, n. 4); Strabo 60 
Athen. 407 F 
: ib. 420 A 
with Diog. L. 2. 140 : arg. Medea 
: Suidas s.v. 
: Horace A.P. 235 satyrorum scriptor. Hence 
Like 
is the name of the chorus (from whom a Greek play so often took its name), but 
connotes the performers, 
the characters performed. Once or twice it is the singular 
which is used: e.g. G.I.G. 2758 IV. and Demetr, 
.
page 213 note 1 It is curious that in quoting the Greek Life Müller, Aeschines A. (Griech. Bühncnalt, p. 197n. 4)Google Scholar has inadvertently substituted 
for 
, and that Haigh (Attic Theatre,2 p.242,n. 2) has written 
for in quoting Plat. Crat. 425 D.
page 213 note 2 A passage in Heine's seventh letter to Lewald illustrates at once the usage of two modern languages and the words of Juvenal above quoted : alle Franzosen geborene Komödianten sind.… Die Franzosen sind die Hofschauspieler des lieben Gottes, les comédiens ordinaires du bon Dieu, eine auserlesene Truppe, und die ganze französische Geschichte kommt mir manchmal vor wie eine grosse. Komödie, die aber zum Besten der Menschheit aufgeführt wird.