Timotheus of Miletus facts for kids
Timotheus of Miletus was a famous Greek musician and poet. He lived a very long time ago, from about 446 BC to 357 BC. He was known for creating a "new music" style that changed how people thought about music.
Timotheus made some big changes to the lyre, which is a stringed instrument like a small harp. He added more strings to it. This made some people, especially in Sparta and Athens, a bit unhappy. They were used to the old ways!
He also wrote many musical pieces. These works often told stories about myths or history.
Timotheus spent some years working at the court of Archelaus I of Macedon, who was a king.
Discovering Timotheus's Works
We know about Timotheus's poetry because parts of it still exist today. These pieces were collected in a book called Poetae Melici Graeci.
One very special discovery was a piece of papyrus found in a place called Abusir. This papyrus contains parts of his poem called Persians. It's one of the oldest Greek papyri ever found! Experts have studied it to learn more about his music, his style, and the lyre he used.
Timotheus: Not Just One Musician
Sometimes, people get Timotheus of Miletus mixed up with another famous musician. This other musician was also named Timotheus, but he played the aulos (a type of ancient Greek flute). He lived later and worked for Alexander the Great. It's easy to see how they could be confused!
A famous writer named Rabelais once wrote about Timotheus in his book Gargantua. He said that Timotheus helped his students forget bad habits they learned from other teachers. This means Timotheus was seen as a very good and influential teacher.
See also
In Spanish: Timoteo de Mileto para niños
