The Gospel of Hellas - Research Institute for Waldorf Education

the origin of drama
It is from this passage, written a few years before the death of Socrates, that
Plato and Aristotle drew the use of the word synesis. The first appearance of the
word syneidesis is to be found in Democritus (fr. 297 D), Demosthenes (de cor.
110) and Menander (fr. 632 ap. Stob. III, p. 602 H). 143
This word synesis, later syneidesis, is a genuine Hellenic creation. Neither
the Hebraic nor Aramaic languages knew it. As an Hellenic idea and term it
entered the Hellenistic tradition of the Hebrews and the Koine used it in the
writings of the New Testament.
Sophocles once said: “If he [Aeschylus] does however the right one, he does
it without knowing. I built the human beings as they are to be, Euripides, as they
are.” Here we have the best characterization of the style of the three dramatists.
Aeschylus wrote in an archaic, mystical style, as if he were translating mystery
texts. Sophocles, with all his heart’s enthusiasm, presented the characters of
his heroes as ideal human beings. Euripides, with the intellect of a dialectician,
represented them as real beings of everyday life.
Just as the satyr-drama was presented after the three tragedies which were
played from morning until evening, so Aristophanes appears after the triad
of these dramatists. The wit, mockery and humor which now followed the
tragedies of the earlier masters shows how urgent was the need for relief from
the ever-increasing pessimism which intellect and sophistication had reared.
In Aristophanes’ Frogs, Heracles and Dionysus are brought upon the stage.
In satiric form the motif of initiation appears when Dionysus, disguised as
Heracles, descends to the netherworld and brings Aeschylus back to the world
of light after winning a contest with Euripides.
This mocking and ridiculing of the mysteries appears again in Aristophanes’
Frogs when Aeacus says to Xauthas: “When I get behind my master’s back and
quickly curse him, I feel just like the Blessed One in the mysteries.” But the
very climax of the spirit of scorn is reached when Aristophanes in his Clouds
dares to bring the revered Socrates onto the stage to endure the quips of the
sophisticated Athenians.
The wonderful equilibrium between the tragic and the humorous which
the Hellenes possessed gave to the world this double endowment of tragedy
and comedy. Therein lies the secret of Heraclitus’ saying: “Hades and Dionysus
are the same.”
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