Aristotle: The Poetic Arts
Greek:
Book 11447a περὶ ποιητικῆς αὐτῆς τε καὶ τῶν εἰδῶν αὐτῆς ἥν τινα δύναμιν ἕκαστον ἔχει, καὶ πῶς δεῖ συνίστασθαι τοὺς μύθους εἰ μέλλει καλῶς ἕξειν ἡ ποίησις, ἔτι δὲ ἐκ πόσων καὶ ποίων ἐστὶ μορίων, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὅσα τῆς αὐτῆς ἐστι μεθόδου, λέγωμεν ἀρξάμενοι κατὰ φύσιν πρῶτον ἀπὸ τῶν πρώτων.
ἐποποιία δὴ καὶ ἡ τῆς τραγῳδίας ποίησις ἔτι δὲ κωμῳδία καὶ ἡ διθυραμβοποιητικὴ καὶ τῆς [15] αὐλητικῆς ἡ πλείστη καὶ κιθαριστικῆς πᾶσαι τυγχάνουσιν οὖσαι μιμήσεις τὸ σύνολον, διαφέρουσι δὲ ἀλλήλων τρισίν, ἢ γὰρ τῷ1 ἐν ἑτέροις μιμεῖσθαι ἢ τῷ ἕτερα ἢ τῷ ἑτέρως καὶ μὴ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον2.
Translation:
Book 11447a Let us talk about poetry and its different forms, the power or effect of each kind, such as how the plot must be introduced in a certain way if the poem is to be good, or anything else about the number or nature of poetic composition proper to its methodology. Following the natural order, let us begin with first principles.
Epic poetry along with tragic and even comedic poetry, that of dithyrambic and most flute and harp playing, all seem to be an imitation of reality. They differ from each other in three ways: by the way each is imitated, by the object that is imitated, or by something different and not through the same manner3.
Commentary:
