episodion

Episodion, also transliterated epeisodion, is a term used in the study of ancient Greek drama to denote a unit of action within a tragedy. The word derives from the Greek ἐπεισόδιον, meaning an insertion or episode inserted between larger choral sections. In the conventional structure of Greek tragedy, the action alternates between episodes and stasima, the choral odes. An episode comprises the scenes in which the actors advance the plot through dialogue and action, while the chorus provides lyric commentary in the following stasimon.

Characteristics of an episodic unit include its role in moving the narrative forward and its dialogue-heavy nature, often featuring confrontations, revelations, or plot twists. Episodes are bounded by the musical and metrical framework of the subsequent ode, which creates a formal rhythm that alternates between spoken action and choral song. The length and internal composition of an episode vary among different plays and playwrights.

Historical usage and scholarly context: the concept is central to descriptions of the dramaturgical architecture of classical tragedy. Aristotle’s Poetics discusses the arrangement of parts and the balance between action and lyric elements, with episodes serving as the principal vehicles for plot development. In the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, multiple episodes intervene between stasima, forming the sequence that drives dramatic momentum.

In modern scholarship, epeisodion is the preferred technical term for this element of Greek tragedy, with episodium appearing as a variant in some transliterations. The concept remains a key reference point for analyses of dramatic structure and narrative pacing in ancient texts.