LIFE OF TERPANDER

Sparta because of a murder, and listening to his
musie at their public dinners, ceased their factious
strife. Another account is this: The Spartans at a
time of internecine strugeles sent to Lesbos for the
musician Terpander, who restored harmony to their
minds and put an end to the strife of parties ; and
so whenever after that time the Spartans listened to
a musician, the saying went ‘Next to the poet of
Lesbos.” This proverb is mentioned by Cratinus in
his Cheiron.

Aelius Dionysius quoted by Eustathius: Aristotle
in his Constitution of Sparta declares that in the
saying * Next to the poet of Lesbos’ the reference
is to Terpander. and it is said that the Spartans
used to summon to take his place of honour ! first his
descendants, then any Lesbian poet present, and the
rest as they came, ‘after the poet of Lesbos,’ that is
after any poet that came from Lesbos,

Palatine Anthology: Tryphon on the lyrist Ter-
pes*...:

When in the Spartan Place of Meeting Terpes
Was singing a song to the thrumming of his sweet
Ivre, he perished never to return, nol by a sword, nor
yet an arrow, but by the casting of a fig between his
lips. Alas! Death suffers from no lack of pretexts.

Plutarch Life of Lycurgus: Thus it is said that
later during the Theban invasion of Laconia the
Helot prisoners refused to sing at the bidding of
their captors the songs of Terpander or Aleman or
Spendon the Laconian, on the plea that their masters
never allowed it.

1 Veosveh. & μετὰ Δέσβ. ‘called first before the judues of

the musical contests’ μ apparently an abbreviation of
Terpander, cf. Suid. 5, γλυκὺ μέλι

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