[143] From the word רמא (_rama_) is formed in Phœnician the word דרמא (_drama_) by the adjunction of the demonstrative article ד (_d’_); that is to say, a thing which comes from Rama: an action well ordered, beautiful, sublime, etc. Notice that the Greek verb δραεῖν, _to act_, whence is drawn very inappropriately the word δρᾶμα, is always attached to the same root רא (_ra_) which is that of harmonic movement. [144] Athen., l. ii., c. 3; Arist., _De Poët._, c. 3, 4, 5. [145] _Tragedy_, in Greek τραγῳδία, comes from the words τραχίς, austere, severe, lofty, and ὠδή chant. _Comedy_, in Greek κωμῳδία, is derived from the words κῶμος, joyful, lascivious, and ὠδή, chant. It is unnecessary for me to say that the etymologists who have seen in _tragedy_ a song of the goat, because τράγος signifies a goat in Greek, have misunderstood the simplest laws of etymology. Τράγος signifies a goat only by metaphor, because of the roughness and heights which this animal loves to climb; as _caper_, in Latin, holds to the same root as _caput_; and _chèvre_, in French, to the same root as _chef_, for a similar reason. [146] Diog. Laërt., l. i., § 59. [147] Plutar. _In Solon_. [148] Arist., _De Mor._, l. iii., c. 2; Ælian., _Var. Hist._, l. v., c. 19; Clem. Alex., _Strom._, l. ii., c. 14. [149] Plato, _De Legib._,l. iii. [150] Athen., l. viii., c. 8. [151] Plutar., _De Music_. [152] Horat., _De Art. poët_, v. 279; Vitrav., _In Prefac._, l. vii., p. 124. [153] Æschylus, _In Prometh._, Act I., Sc. 1, et Act. V., Sc. ult. [154] Æschylus, _In Eumenid._, Act V., Sc. 3. [155] Aristoph. _In Plut._, v. 423; Pausan., l. i., c. 28; _Vitâ Æschyl. apud._, Stanley, p. 702. [156] Dionys. Chrys., _Orat._, l. ii. [157] Aristoph., _In Ran._; Philostr., _In Vitâ Apollon_, l. vi., c. ii. [158] Plutar., _In Cimon._; Athen., l. viii., c. 8. [159] Philostr., _In Vitâ Apoll._, l. vi., c. ii. [160] Schol., _In Vitâ Sophocl._; Suidas, _In_ Σοφοκλ.; Plutar., _De Profect. Vitæ_. [161] Aristot., _De Poët._, c. 25. [162] Aristoph., _In Ran._, v. 874 et 1075. [163] Philostr., _Vitâ Apoll._, l. ii., c. 2; l. iv., c. 16; l. vi., c. 11; _Vitâ Æschyl. apud_, Robort., p. 11. [164] Aristoph., _In Ran._; Aristot., _De Poët._, c. 25. [165] Plato, _De Legib._, l. ii. et iii. [166] Hérodot., l. vi., 21; Corsin., _Fast. attic._, t. iii., p. 172; Aristot., _De Poët._, c. 9. [167] Aristot., _De Poët._, c. 9. [168] Susarion appeared 580 B.C., and Thespis some years after. The latter produced his tragedy of Alcestis in 536 B.C.; and the condemnation of Socrates occurred in 399 B.C. So that only 181 years elapsed between the initial presentation of comedy and the death of this philosopher.