Sexual life in ancient Greece : with thirty-two full-page plates

THe THEATRE

the earlier festivals of Dionysus, satisfied the desire of the public for coarser fare and, with jest and joke, restored the balance after the mental shocks of tragic destinies. Such satyric dramas, of which only one has been preserved, the Cyclops of Euripides, enjoyed great popularity until the Alexandrine period, although we can say little that is definite about their subjects. The Old Attic comedy also long found imitators ; it lived again through the “ Dionysian artists”, who from their chief seat on the island of Teos everywhere spread the “‘ Dionysian practices ” at the courts of princes, in military garrisons, in all the larger, and often in the smaller cities.

By the side of this the farce continually extended its range, and, if we may believe Polybius (XXX, 25; cf. Ath., x, 440), as we probably can, with this countless throng of actors, singers, dancers, and the like, ‘‘ Ionic licentiousness and immorality ” everywhere found an entrance. In Roman imperial times the dialogue parts of tragedies and comedies were still performed, until gradually, from about the third century a.D., they were driven out by the pantomime, the effect of which depended almost entirely upon sensual charms.’ By incessant practice and a strictly regulated mode of life the pantomimists had secured an absolute mastery over their bodies, and were able to carry out every movement with perfect grace owing to their suppleness. Of course only the most beautiful and graceful forms appeared as pantomimists. “ In the lewd scenes, which were the spice of this drama, seductive grace combined with luxury and shamelessness knew no limits. When Bathyllus, a beautiful boy, was dancing, Leda, the most impudent actress of mimes, felt like a mere country novice om seeing such mastership in the art of refined sensuality.” (L.

1 On the continuous life of dramatic performances cf. Dion Chrysostom, xix, p. 487; Lucian, De Saltat., 27.

154