MUSI C. 
858 
tated. Porpliyiy, in his Life of Pythagoras, fays, that 
this philofopher ufed to amnfe himfelf with tinging the 
old Pasans of Thaletas; and Athenreus likewife tells us, 
that the Spartans long continued to fing his airs ; and, 
according to the fcholiaft on Pindar, this poet-mufician 
was the hr ft who compofed the hyporcherncs, for the armed 
or military dance. The Greeks called v 7 rop^rriu,x, a kind 
of poetry compofed, not only to be Jung to the found of 
flutes and cithara, but to be danced at the fame time. 
The Italian term ballata, the French ballade, and the 
Englifh word ballad, now ballet in French and Englifh, 
had formerly the fame import; implying, feverally, a long, 
the melody of which was to regulate the time of a dance. 
And the different meafures of poetry being called fed, 
both in ancient and modern languages, fuggefts an idea 
that dancing, if not anterior to poetry and mufic, had a 
very early and intimate connexion with them both. The 
poet Simonides defined Poetry an eloquent dance; and 
Dancing, a filent poetry. 
There was another poet and mufician of the name of 
Thaletas, who was likewife a Cretan, that flourifhed much 
later than the cotemporary and friend of Lycurgus. Sir 
Ifaac Newton has named him among the early vi&ors at 
the Pythic games; and Dr. Blair places him 673 years 
B. C. This is the Thaletas whom Plutarch makes cotem¬ 
porary with Solon ; and of whom it is related, that he de¬ 
livered the Lacedaemonians from the peltilence by the 
fweetnefs of his lyre. 
Archilochus has been mentioned as the inventor of 
dramatic melody, or the melody ufed in declamation; 
which, in modern language, might be termed “ Recitative 
to ftrift meafure,” fuch as the voice-part obferves in many 
modern pieces of accompanied recitative. For his family, 
the time when he flourifhed, and the manner of his death, 
fee vol. ii. p. 60. Dr. Burney fays, “ There is a great 
refemblance between the incidents of his life and thole of 
the poet Roulfeau : both were equally unfortunate in 
love, friendfhip, and death ; both were at war with the 
■world, and the world with them; nor was either admired 
till he ceafed to be feared. A peevifh, fatirical, and iraf- 
cible difpofition foured the public, and embittered their 
own exiftence. A general fatirift, like Codes on the bridge, 
Hands alone, againll a whole army of foes.” Archilochus 
is generally ranked among the firft victors at the Pythic 
games; and we learn from Pindar, that his rnufe was not 
always a termagant: for though no mortal efcaped her 
rage, yet fhe was at times lufliciently tranquil and 
pious to dictate hymns in praife of the gods and heroes. 
One, in particular, written in honour of Hercules, ac¬ 
quired him the acclamations of all Greece; for he fung it 
in full affembly at the Olympic games, and had the fatis- 
faction of receiving from the judges the crown of victory, 
confecrated to real merit. This hymn, or ode, was after¬ 
wards fung in honour of every viftor at Olympia who had 
no poet to celebrate his particular exploits. 
The Lacedaemonians, though a military people, of auf- 
tere manners, appear at all times, notwithftanding their 
inhofpitable law again!!: the admiflion of ftrangers, to have 
invited eminent muficians into their country, and to have 
encouraged mufic; not only in order to regulate their fteps 
and animate the courage of their troops, but to grace their 
feftivals, and fill their hours of leifure in private life. 
Tyrtasus, an Athenian general, and mufician, is cele¬ 
brated by all antiquity for the compofition of military 
fongs and airs, as well as the performance of them. He 
was called to the affiftance of the Lacedaemonians, in the 
fecond war with the Mefl'enians, about 685 B.C. and a 
memorable victory which they obtained over that people 
is attributed, by the ancient fcholiafts upon Florace, to 
the animating found of a new military flute, or clarion, 
invented and played upon by Tyrtaeus. Plutarch tells 
us that they gave him the freedom of their city; and that 
his military airs were conftantly fung and played in the 
Spartan army, to the laft hour of the republic. And 
Lycurgus the orator, in his oration againft Leocrates, 
fays, “ The Spartans made a law, that, whenever they 
were in arms, and going out upon any military expedi¬ 
tion, they fhould all be firft fummoned to the king’s tent, 
to hear the fongs of Tyrtseus;” thinking it the belt means 
of fending them forth with a difpofition to die with plea- 
fure for their country. He was likewife the author of 
a celebrated fong and dance performed at feftivals by 
three choirs; the firft of which was compofed of old men, 
the fecond of fuch as were arrived at maturity, and the 
third of boys. The firft: chorus began by this verfe : 
In youth our fouls with martial ardor glow’d. 
The 2d. We prefent glory feek—point out the road. 
The 3d. Though now with children we can only clafs. 
We hope our future deeds will your’s furpafs. 
The trumpet is firft: mentioned in Greece at the time of 
the Olympic games. We have the authority of Paufanias 
(lib. vi.) for the liorfe-race being accompanied by the 
trumpet; and many ancient writers tell us that the cha¬ 
riot-race was likewife accompanied by the flute. In the 
96th Olympiad, 396 B.C. a prize was inftituted at the 
Olympic games for the beft performer on the trumpet. 
The firft: performer upon this inftrument, who gained the 
prize at the Olympic games, was Timseus of Elis. His 
countryman, Crates, obtained one there the fame year, 
on the cornet, or horn. Archias of Hybla, in Sicily, was 
viftor on the trumpet at three feveral Olympiads, after 
this period. Thefe premiums feem not to have been tem¬ 
porary, but to have been continued long after their firft: 
eftablifhment; for Athenseus informs us, that the famous 
trumpeter, Herodorus of Megara, was vi&orat the Olym¬ 
pic games ten feveral times; Julius Pollux fays fifteen. 
But thefe writers mull mean that he obtained fo many 
prizes at the different games of Greece; as Athenasus in¬ 
forms us that lie was viftor in the whole circle of facred 
games, having been crowned at the Olympian, Pythian, 
Nemean, and Ifthmian, by turns. As Herodorus is al¬ 
lowed to have been cotemporary with Demetrius Polior- 
cetes, lie may be placed about the 120th Olymp. 300 B.C. 
According to the authors already cited, he was as remark¬ 
able for his gigantic figure and enormous appetite as for 
the ftrength of his lungs, which were fo powerful in blow¬ 
ing the trumpet, that he could not be heard with fafety, 
unlefs at a great diftance. But, upon thefe occafions, 
the danger was not always confined to the hearers; the 
performers themfelves, fometimes, feem to have exulted, 
and to have been very thankful, that they found them¬ 
felves alive and well when their Jblos were ended. An 
epigram of Archias, the Hyblaean trumpeter, mentioned 
above, is preferved in Julius Pollux, in which he dedicates 
a ftatue to Apollo, in gratitude for his having been en¬ 
abled to proclaim the Olympic games with his trumpet 
three times, without burfting his cheeks or ablood-vefiel, 
though he founded with all his force, and without a 
capiflrum. This will not be wondered at, after what has 
been related (p. 295.) of the dangers of the flute. 
The Olympic games, according to St. Chryfoftom, con¬ 
tinued to be celebrated with fplendour till the end of the 
fourth century. 
The Pythic games were ftill more ancient. For the 
occafion of their inllitution, fee Apollo, vol. i. p. 804. 
They were celebrated at firft: once in eight or nine years ; 
but in procefs of time were repeated every four years. 
And if, as Ovid informs us, they owe their inftitution to 
Amphiftyon, the fon of Deucalion, foon after the deluge 
which bears the name of his father, they were the molt 
ancient of all the four great games of Greece: for Pau¬ 
fanias tells us that the Olympic games were firft celebrated 
by Clymenus, a defeendant of Hercules, fifty years after 
the deluge of Deucalion. However, the fame writer, 
who, in his travels through Greece, was particularly foli- 
citous to inform himfelf of every circumftance relative to 
thefe inftitutions, tells us, that Diomedes, the fon of Ty- 
deus, having efcaped a dangerous tempeft in returning 
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