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The dithyramb was originally an ancient Greek hymn sung to the god Dionysus. Its wild and ecstatic character was often contrasted with that of the paean. Just as Paian was both a hymn to and a title of Apollo, dithyrambos was also a title of Dionysus as well as a song in his honor.
Dithyrambs were sung by a chorus of up to 50 men dancing in circular formation, possibly dressed as satyrs, and probably accompanied by the flute. They would normally relate some incident in the life of the god to whom it was addressed. The leader of the chorus later became the solo protagonist, with lyrical interchanges taking place between him and the rest of the chorus.
Competitions between groups singing dithyrambs were an important part of festivals such as the Dionysia and Lenaia. Each tribe would enter two choruses, one of men and one of boys, each under the leadership of a choregos. The results of dithyrambic contests in Athens were recorded with the names of the winning teams and choregoi recorded but not the poets, most of whom remain unknown. The successful choregos would receive a tripod which would be erected - at his own expense - on a public monument to commemorate his group's victory.
The first dithyrambs were composed in Athens around the 7th century BC. Its inspiration is unknown, although it was possibly non-Greek, as the word is of unknown but probably non-Greek derivation. The form soon spread to other Greek city-states, with the poets Simonides, Pindar, and Bacchylides (only the latter's works have survived in anything like their original form). Later examples were dedicated to other gods but the dithyramb subsequently developed into a literary form (traditionally by Arion). It is believed to have evolved into the tragedy and dithyrambs continued to be developed alongside tragedies for some time, although by the 4th century BC the genre was in decline. The dithyrambic competitions for some time afterwards nd did not come to an end until well after the Roman takeover of Greece.
Dithyrambic compositions have rarely been written in English, although one notable exception is Alexander's Feast by John Dryden (written 1697). A wildly enthusiastic speech or piece of writing is still occasionally described as dithyrambic.
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