This paper addresses two interrelated questions central to scholarly debates on Aristotle’s Poetics: (a) the extent to which fourth-century BCE theatrical life shaped his theory of tragedy; and (b) whether the role of staging has been underestimated in his account. Drawing on Aristotle’s references to poets and plays spanning the range of Classical tragedy, it is argued that fourth-century dramatic activity is neither absent nor marginalised. The philosopher’s theoretical observations are instead significantly informed by contemporary performance practices within the framework of dramatic contests — where both ‘old’ and ‘new’ tragedies were staged, with Euripides occupying a particularly prominent position. Taken together, the examples adduced in the Poetics suggest that performative considerations are consistently embedded in Aristotle’s assessment of tragic composition and reception.
