The Birth of Tragedy

The Birth of Tragedy; or, Hellenism and Pessimism is a work of philosophy and classical philology by Friedrich Nietzsche, first published in 1872. It is the German philosopher's first book, published when he was 27 years old.

Nietzsche, an enthusiast of Greek tragedy, develops an account of Greek tragedy and the role of art in confronting suffering. He draws on Schopenhauer’s philosophy and Wagner’s music and considers the tragic theater of Ancient Greece to be the highest art form.

He contrasts the Apollonian impulse toward form, image, and individuation with the Dionysian impulse toward ecstasy and the dissolution of boundaries. Nietzsche argues that the interaction of these forces made Attic tragedy possible.

Although its claims were controversial, the book introduced ideas Nietzsche would revisit and criticize in his later work.

"Whatever may lie at the bottom of this doubtful book must be a question of the first rank and attractiveness, moreover a deeply personal question,—in proof thereof observe the time in which it originated, in spite of which it originated, the exciting period of the Franco-German war of 1870-71."