Terpander facts for kids

Terpander (pronounced Ter-PAN-der) was a famous Greek poet and musician. He lived a long, long time ago, around the early 600s BC. He came from a place called Antissa on the island of Lesbos. Many people think he was like the "father" of Greek music. He also helped create lyric poetry, which is poetry sung with music.

Terpander made music simpler and more organized. He took different singing styles from nearby places and turned them into a clear system. Even though he was very creative, he mostly helped to organize the music styles that already existed in Greece and a region called Anatolia. He is one of the first musicians from ancient Greece that we know about for sure.

Terpander's Life and Music

Moving to Sparta

Around the time of the Second Messenian War (a big conflict in ancient Greece), Terpander moved to a city called Sparta. Some stories say he was asked to come by the Delphic Oracle. This was a special priestess who gave advice from the gods. She supposedly told Sparta to invite him to help solve problems between different groups of people in the city.

While in Sparta, Terpander won a big prize. He won in the music contests at a festival called Carneia.

Musical Innovations

Terpander is seen as the true founder of classical Greek music. He also helped start lyric poetry. We don't know everything about his new ideas in music.

One idea, according to an ancient writer named Strabo, is that Terpander added more strings to the lyre. The lyre was a musical instrument like a small harp. It might have gone from four strings to seven. Other people think he made the musical pieces, called nomos, longer. These were songs sung with a cithara or lyre. He might have made them have seven parts instead of four. The seven-stringed lyre probably already existed, but he used it well.

Terpander is also said to have brought in new rhythms. He was also famous for writing fun drinking songs, called skolia.

His Writings

Sadly, none of Terpander's poems have survived completely. We only have a few lines quoted by later Greek writers. It's even uncertain if he wrote his music down. He might have taught it by ear.

How He Died

It is said that Terpander died near a place called Skiadas (which means "shady place"). This was a spot connected to the Carneia festival. The story says he choked on a fig. Someone threw the fruit to him to show how much they liked his performance.

See also

• Orpheus
• Pericleitus, a student of Terpander
• Philammon
• Chrysothemis
• Piorian Maenads