The Holly chieftain., 1897-04-30
BIRTH Or DRAMATIC Ar
A Greek Legend L. the Hahy Fotadi- =
lion for EurIA- PInN..

"'a '"E '-aS
The summer resort of kcphisia, on
the western extremity Of Mount PEN
telicus, is 81 minute by rail from
Athens. III ence Il stiff walk of an hour.
through groves of pines and masses of
arbutus and oleander. brings the trav-
Fier IN view of the sGUw-clad Dirphys
and the chain of mountains beyond.
After a further walk one enters the
lonely recess" shaded by majestic
plane trees, which thrive on the peren-
NAL stream that flows in the glen
close by. The Scenery" adds Prof
Merriam, sis in harmony with the two
fold side of the worship of Dionysos.
the gay and Joyous. the sad ard mourn
tuI, and is aptly fitted to inspire =
Susarioa and Thcspis. The spot is
full of THeocritean dignity and sim
p!icity. The region thus described
is some l.e0o feet above the sea: and. al
though the vine is not now cultivated
there. the careful rcrracing of the
ground below points TO the existence in
days gone by of widespread vinicul-
ture, with which the cult OF Diouysos
and the legend OF Ikarios are intimate
ly connected.
Put in n few words, this legend per
soniiies the heroic type of the Athenian
farmer in Ikaria. VINO is visited by the
god and is taught the culture of the
,ine and the art of winemakinr
lkarios then offers to Dionysos goat
that had injured the vine and his in
tated skin is tossed about in the sports
and dances which the joys of wine
drinking provoke. Travelling through
the country. Ikarios next proclaims the
new cult and offers far and wide the
unmiNed gift OF the god. But the
tIieuds of the shepherds who had drunk
themselves into n stupor, thinking
lkarios had poisoned them. killed him.
only to lament the crime when the sup
posed victims began to sober. Erigonr.
the daughter OF Rarios, oycrpowered
with grief at her fathers death. hangs
herself at his tomb. IkHrios is now re-
'erscd as the eponymous hero and myth,
ical king of the township. the mournful
nirgc of the Limos" being chantcd in
his honor: while the woes Of Erigone
are recited in a deeply plaintive song
called "Aletis." Thus the rural festi-
val of the Dionysia, held yearly on the
completion of the vintage. is instituted.
The rough dances and mummeries grad.
ually ripen into plays enacted by
butfoons and lkaria becomes celebrated
for her choruses and choreographic
representations
Attracted here from Megara. Susarion
apraised these rude performances by
an infusion of the comic talent of the
Mcgarians and thus seated comedy:
while Thcspis, native of Ikaria. in
Rpired by the mournful side of the le-
gcnd, elaborated the tragic form of the
drama. Thenceforward Thespis was
honored as the father of the Attic the
atctr; and dramatic art, the outgrowth
of their worship OF Dionysos-became
part of the service paid to the god
throughout Greece. This short account
mikes manifest the interest attaching
to the state of lkaria. and also the i'm
portance of ascertaining all that the
spot itself could reveal in connection
with the early growth of the drama
1t was an enviable task which thus fell
TO the lot of the American school; and
1t was prosecuted with zeal and signal
success. Never has an exploration
yielded more readily or more abundant
ly results of such Importance, with SO
small an outlay of money or labor.
he work." we are told, has been like
the opening of great chest of hidden
and forgotten treasures. Forum.