episodia

Episodia is the term used in the study of ancient Greek theatre to denote the individual scenes of action that occur between the choral odes, or stasima. The word comes from Greek episodion, meaning an episode or a discrete unit of action within a play. In classical tragedy, the dramatic structure is commonly described as alternating episodia and stasima, with the chorus delivering a stasimon after each episode.

Functionally, an episode presents dialogue and action among the play’s characters and is the primary site where plot development and character interaction take place. Episodes typically advance the narrative, reveal motives, and heighten tension, while the accompanying stasima provide commentary, mood, or thematic reflection from the chorus. This arrangement creates a rhythm that balances dialogue-driven scenes with lyrical or lyrical-commentary sections performed by the chorus.

The quantity and length of episodia vary by playwright and work. In early tragedians such as Aeschylus, episodes can be relatively numerous and extended; in later tragic poets like Sophocles and Euripides, episodes often integrate more tightly with characterization and dramatic action. The concept of episodic structure is a central feature in discussions of classical tragedy and is discussed in literary and dramatic theory, including Aristotle’s treatments of plot and action in the Poetics.

In modern scholarship, episodia remains a technical term chiefly used in the analysis of Greek drama. While the term is specialized, its underlying idea—distinct narrative units within a longer dramatic framework—has broader relevance to the study of dramatic structure. See also Greek tragedy, stasimon, drama structure, episode.