The Way of Imitation

There is still a third difference—the manner in which each of these objects may be imitated. For the medium being the same, and the objects the same, the poet may imitate by narration—in which case he can either take another personality as Homer does, or speak in his own person, unchanged—or he may present all his characters as living and moving before us.

There is a third difference: the way each of these objects may be imitated. Even when the medium and the objects are the same, the poet may imitate them through narration. In narrating, the poet can take on another personality, as Homer does, or speak in his own person without changing it. Or the poet may present all his characters as living and moving before us.

These, then, as we said at the beginning, are the three differences which distinguish artistic imitation,—the medium, the objects, and the manner. So that from one point of view, Sophocles is an imitator of the same kind as Homer—for both imitate higher types of character; from another point of view, of the same kind as Aristophanes—for both imitate persons acting and doing. Hence, some say, the name of 'drama' is given to such poems, as representing action. For the same reason the Dorians claim the invention both of Tragedy and Comedy. The claim to Comedy is put forward by the Megarians,—not only by those of Greece proper, who allege that it originated under their democracy, but also by the Megarians of Sicily, for the poet Epicharmus, who is much earlier than Chionides and Magnes, belonged to that country. Tragedy too is claimed by certain Dorians of the Peloponnese. In each case they appeal to the evidence of language. The outlying villages, they say, are by them called {kappa omega mu alpha iota}, by the Athenians {delta eta mu iota}: and they assume that Comedians were so named not from {kappa omega mu 'alpha zeta epsilon iota nu}, 'to revel,' but because they wandered from village to village (kappa alpha tau alpha / kappa omega mu alpha sigma), being excluded contemptuously from the city. They add also that the Dorian word for 'doing' is {delta rho alpha nu}, and the Athenian, {pi rho alpha tau tau epsilon iota nu}.

As we said at the beginning, artistic imitation differs in three ways: its medium, its objects, and its manner. From one point of view, Sophocles is an imitator of the same kind as Homer. Both imitate higher types of character. From another point of view, Sophocles is an imitator of the same kind as Aristophanes. Both imitate people acting and doing things. That is why, some say, such poems are called 'drama': they represent action. For the same reason, the Dorians claim to have invented both Tragedy and Comedy. The Megarians claim to have invented Comedy. This claim comes from the Megarians of Greece proper, who say Comedy began under their democracy. It also comes from the Megarians of Sicily. The poet Epicharmus was from Sicily, and he lived much earlier than Chionides and Magnes. Certain Dorians of the Peloponnese also claim to have invented Tragedy. In each case, the Dorians appeal to the evidence of language. They say they call outlying villages {kappa omega mu alpha iota}, while the Athenians call them {delta eta mu iota}. They assume that Comedians were named not from {kappa omega mu 'alpha zeta epsilon iota nu}, 'to revel,' but from wandering from village to village (kappa alpha tau alpha / kappa omega mu alpha sigma). The Comedians wandered in this way because they were scornfully excluded from the city. The Dorians also add that their word for 'doing' is {delta rho alpha nu}, while the Athenian word is {pi rho alpha tau tau epsilon iota nu}.

This may suffice as to the number and nature of the various modes of imitation.

This may be enough about the number and nature of the different ways of imitating.