dithyramb summary

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Below is the article summary. For the full article, see dithyramb.

dithyramb , Choric poem, chant, or hymn of ancient Greece. Dithyrambs were sung by revelers at the festival in honour of Dionysus. The form originated about the 7th century bc in extemporaneous songs of banqueters; it was a recognized literary genre by the end of the 6th century bc. Dithyrambs were composed by Arion and Pindar, among others. By c. 450 bc the form was in decline; most dithyrambs were bombastic and turgid.

Arion Summary

Arion, semilegendary Greek poet and musician of Methymna in Lesbos. He is said to have invented the dithyramb (choral poem or chant performed at the festival of Dionysus); that is, he gave it literary form. His father’s name, Cycleus, indicates the connection of the son with the cyclic or circular