The New International Encyclopædia/Thespis

THES′PIS (Lat., from Gk. Θέσπις. A native of the Attic deme of Icarus in the sixth century B.C., called the father of Greek tragedy. He introduced an actor to reply to the leader of the chorus, who before had recited the adventures of Dionysus and had been answered by the chorus, and thus made an important step toward the drama.