unmistakably lost its importance, its individuality faded away, and the need of formally introducing or identifying it almost disappeared. The chorus soon lost the exclusive privilege of introducing actors by _addressing_ them. We have seen that Cratus and Hephaestus exercise this function for one another, and the former does the same for Prometheus. But the poets continued much longer to use the chorus in _announcing_ the approach of a new character. Dr. Graeber (_op. cit._, p. 26) claims that Euripides was the first to employ an actor for this purpose. In his _Alcestis_ (vss. 24 ff.), Apollo says: Lo, yonder Death;—I see him nigh at hand, Priest of the dead, who comes to hale her down To Hades’ halls, etc. [Way’s translation] But just twenty years before, in Aeschylus’ _Libation-Bearers_ (vss. 10-17), Orestes announced the approach of the chorus and Electra as follows: What see I now? What company of women Is this that comes in mourning garb attired? ... Or am I right in guessing that they bring Libations to my father, soothing gifts To those beneath? It cannot but be so. I think Electra, mine own sister, comes, By wailing grief conspicuous. [Plumptre’s translation] Possibly Graeber did not consider the last instance formulaic enough to count. But however this may be, at last the actors largely took over the function of announcing new characters, as they previously had that of addressing them. In comedy proper names, and consequently introductions, are less important. The names of tragedy were largely traditional and conveyed a meaning to all educated persons in the audience as soon as they heard them (see pp. 127 f., above); but in comedy a character might almost as well have no name at all as one which had no associations for the spectators. Accordingly, Aristophanes and Plautus left many of their characters nameless. Of course when well-known citizens of Athens, such as Socrates, Euripides, or Lamachus, were ridiculed, they were definitely named at their first appearance. When a significant comic name was employed it was not mentioned until the audience was in a position to appreciate the point of the joke, sometimes not until well along in the play. Thus in Aristophanes’ _Birds_ the names of Pisthetaerus (Plausible) and Euelpides (Hopeful) are first mentioned at vss. 644 f. I conclude this section with three examples of clever introductions. In Euripides’ _Bacchanals_ (vss. 170 ff.) the blind Tiresias cries: Gate-warder, ho! call Cadmus forth the halls ... Say to him that Tiresias Seeks him—he knoweth for what cause I come, and Cadmus, coming out, replies: Dear friend, within mine house I heard thy voice, And knew it, the wise utterance of the wise. [Way’s translation]