Dublin.
["Deus ex machinâ" was originally a Greek proverb, and used to denote
any extraordinary, unexpected, or improbable event. It arose from the
custom or stage-trickery of the ancient tragedians, who, to produce
uncommon effect on the audience, introduced a deity on special
occasions--[Greek: Epi tôn paradoxôn kai paralogôn], "it is spoken of
marvellous and surprising occurrences," as the German commentator F.
Smeider, thus explains the words of the passage in which the adage is
to be found, viz. Lucian's _Hermotimus_, sub finem. The words are,
[Greek: to tôn tragôidôn touto, Theos ek mêchanês epiphaneis]. To this
custom Horace alludes in his _Ars Poetica_, l. 191.:
"Nec Deus intersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus
Inciderit."