Ἀπὸ μηχανῆς
from a machine
Translated by William Hutton20 Mar 2002Vetting: high3 revisions
Translation
[sc. A proverbial phrase] in reference to unexpected and unbelievable things. For the tragic poets, when they brought onto the stage a bold move designed to make the spectators disturbed at the things that were said, and to lead them to take pity on those who seemed to have fallen afoul of fortune (since what they suffered was undeserved), or to hate the perpetrators [of injustice] and those who commit transgressions, were accustomed to bring on gods; not setting them out on the stage itself, but on high by means of some kind of machine. The spectators would see this machine beforehand, but at the appointed time he [the poet] would have it turned to reveal the mask of the god. And this was the climax of the play. It was called 'god from a machine.'1
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἀπὸ μηχανῆς· ἐπὶ τῶν παραδόξων καὶ παραλόγων. οἱ γὰρ τῶν τραγῳδιῶν ποιηταὶ, ὅταν εἰσήγαγον εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν ἢ τόλμαν ὥστε συγχυθῆναι τοὺς θεατὰς πρὸς τὰ εἰρημένα καὶ ἐλεεῖν τοὺς ἠτυχηκέναι δόξαντας, ὡς ἀνάξια πεπονθότας, ἢ μισῆσαι τοὺς πεποιηκότας ἢ παρανομήσαντας, εἰώθασι θεοὺς εἰσάγειν, οὐκ ἐπ' αὐτῆς τῆς σκηνῆς ὁρμωμένους, ἀλλ' ἐξ ὕψους ὑπό τινος μηχανῆς, ἣν ἔβλεπον μὲν πρότερον οἱ θεαταὶ, κατ' ἐκείνην δὲ τὴν ἡμέραν στρεφόμενος ἐδείκνυε τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πρόσωπον. καὶ τοῦτο καταστολὴν εἶναι τοῦ δράματος. ἐλέγετο δὲ θεὸς ἀπὸ μηχανῆς.
Betacode
*)apo\ mhxanh=s: e)pi\ tw=n parado/cwn kai\ paralo/gwn. oi( ga\r tw=n tragw|diw=n poihtai\, o(/tan ei)sh/gagon ei)s th\n skhnh\n h)\ to/lman w(/ste sugxuqh=nai tou\s qeata\s pro\s ta\ ei)rhme/na kai\ e)leei=n tou\s h)tuxhke/nai do/cantas, w(s a)na/cia peponqo/tas, h)\ mish=sai tou\s pepoihko/tas h)\ paranomh/santas, ei)w/qasi qeou\s ei)sa/gein, ou)k e)p' au)th=s th=s skhnh=s o(rmwme/nous, a)ll' e)c u(/yous u(po/ tinos mhxanh=s, h(\n e)/blepon me\n pro/teron oi( qeatai\, kat' e)kei/nhn de\ th\n h(me/ran strefo/menos e)dei/knue to\ tou= qeou= pro/swpon. kai\ tou=to katastolh\n ei)=nai tou= dra/matos. e)le/geto de\ qeo\s a)po\ mhxanh=s.
Notes (1)
- cf. Diogenianus 2.84 and other paroemiographers; also the scholia to Plato, Clitophon 470A (and other scholia).
For the proverbiality of the phrase see also e.g. Demosthenes 40.59: "Timocrates alone, as if from a machine, testifies that..." - 1cf. theta 181. ↩
Neighbouring entries
Revision history3 revisions · last 4 Apr 2012
- augmented notes and keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- added keyword — William Hutton
- added note and keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — William Hutton