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number of strings is to be mentioned, one certainly expects them to be more than the standard seven, not less. The variant reading 'in his pentachords' offers no clear sense, and even if it could be understood, it would be too technical for comedy. However, with a small emendation (eis for en) the line can be made to yield the sense 'having up to five harmoniai in a dozen strings'. As 'a dozen strings' is a recurring formula in Pherecrates' account of the modern musicians, this is surely what is required. As for the last line of the extract, it suggests that Phrynis' exharmonic excursions were only brief and temporary. The contrast is with Timotheus, who is the subject of the succeeding lines. |
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Timotheus' name is new to Justice, and she has to ask 'What Timotheus is this?' Music replies, 'A Milesian, a red-haired fellow'. He seems to have been born about 450 or a few years earlier, and not to have become known at Athens as soon as the native Cinesias, who was of similar age. He lived to a great age90 or 97, according to different sourcesbut he can hardly have continued as a virtuoso singer much after the first decade of the fourth century. |
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It was a great moment for him when he beat the eminent Phrynis in competition, perhaps sometime around 420. He boasted of it afterwards: |
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How happy you were, Timotheus, when the herald
announced 'Timotheus of Miletus
defeats the son of Kamon, the Ionian-bender'.20 |
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In another fragment he trumpets his originality: 'I sing not the old songs, my new ones are better . . . Away with the Muse of old.'21 And in the epilogue of his Persians he says that he has found much disfavour at Sparta 'because with my young songs I dishonour the elder Muse'. But, he goes on, |
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I exclude no one, young
or old or my own age,
from the range of these hymns:
only those out-of-date music-spoilers,
that's who I ban, the maulers of songs
who strain and yell with far-ringing criers' voices. |
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20PMG 802. 'Ionian-bender' must refer to Phrynis' use of the Ionian mode. Timotheus himself was an Ionian, Phrynis was not. |
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21PMG 796. |
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