2. The celebrated musician and poet of the later Athenian dithyramb, was a native of Miletus, and the son of Thersander (Steph. Byz. s. v. Μίλητος; Marm. Par. Ep. 77; Alex. Aetol. apud Macr. 5.22; Suid. s.v.). Suidas calls him a son of Thersander, or Neomysus, or Philopolis ; but, as Schmidt observes, when Suidas mentions several names for a person's father, the first is usually the one which he has obtained from the best authorities; and the same scholar has suggested that the name Νεομύσου should perhaps be read Νεομούσου, which is very likely to be the invention of a comic poet, in allusion to the innovations made by Timotheus in music. (Diatribe in Dithyramb. pp. 96, 97.)
The date of Timotheus is marked by the ancients with tolerable precision. According to the Parian marble, he died in B. C. 357, in the ninetieth year of his age, which would place his birth in B. C. 446; but Suidas (s. v.) says that he lived ninety-seven years. The period at which he flourished is described by Suidas as about the times of Euripides, and of Philip of Macedon ; and he is placed by Diodorus with Philoxenus, Telestes, and Polyeidus, at Ol. 95, B. C. 398. (Diod. 14.46). The absence of any mention of Timotheus by Aristophanes (unless we suppose him to have been one of the many Timothei who, as the Scholiast on the Plutus, 5.180, tells us, were attacked by the poet) is a proof that he could not have attained to much eminence before the date mentioned by Diodorus; but yet it must have been before that year that his innovations in music began to attract public attention; for we have the testimony not only of Suidas, but also of Plutarch (see below) to the fact of his commencing his career during the life-time of Euripides, and we have also
- ὁ δὲ Τιμόθεός μʼ, ὦ φιλτάτη, κατορώρυχεν
- καὶ διακέκναικʼ αἴσχιστα.
Δ.
- ποῖος οὑτοσὶ
- Τιμόθεος;
Μ.
- Μιλήτιός τις Πυρρίας[*]( τηε μεανινγ οφ τηις επιτηετ ις δουβτφυλ. σεε σξημιδτ, ππ. 97, 98, ανδ λεηρς, θυαεστ επιξ. ππ. 20, 21.)
- κακά μοι παρέσχεν · οὗτος ἅπαντας οὓς λέγω
- παρελήλυθʼ, ᾄδων ὲκτραπέλους μυρμηκιάς
- ἐξαρμονίους ὑθερβολαίους τʼ ἀνοδίους,
- καὶ νιγλάρους, ὥσπερ τε τὰς ῥαφάνους ὅλην
- κάμπτων με κατεμέστωσε ---
- κἂν ἐντύχῃ πού μοι βαδιζούσῃ μόνῃ,
- ἀπέδυσε κἀνέλυσε χορδαῖς δώδεκα.
Respecting the details of his life we have very little information. He is said to have spent some time at the Macedonian court; and reference will presently be made to a visit which he paid to Sparta. He appears to have formed his musical style chiefly on that of Phrynis, who was also a native of Miletus, and over whom he on one occasion gained a victory. He was at first unfortunate in his professional efforts. Even the Athenians, fond as they were of novelty, and accustomed as they were to the modern style of music introduced by Melanippides, Phrynis, and the rest, were offended at the still bolder innovations of Timotheus, and hissed off his performance. On this occasion it is said that Euripides encouraged Timotheus by the prediction that he would soon have the theatres at his feet (Plut. An seni sit gerend. Rcspub. 23, p. 795c. d.). This prediction appears to have been accomplished in the vase popularity which Timotheus afterwards enjoyed. Plutarch records his exultation at his victory over Phrynis (De se ipsum laudand. 1, p. 539b. c.); and even when, on one occasion, he was conquered by Philotas, a disciple of Polyidus, he could console himself with the rebuke administered to the boasting master of his successful competitor by the witty Stratonicus, ὅτι αὐτὸς μὲν (i. e. Polyidus) ψηφίσματα ποιεῖ, Τιμόθεος δὲ νόμους. (Ath. viii. p. 352b. : the point of the saying is in the double meaning of νόμους, laws and musical strains, and is untranslateable into English.) The Ephesians rewarded him, for his dedicatory hymn to Artemis, with the sum of a thousand pieces of gold (Alex. Aetol. apud Macr. 5.22) : the last accomplishment, by which the education of the Arcadian youth was finished, was learning the nomes of Timotheus and Philoxenus (Plb. 4.20; Ath. xiv. p. 626c.) : and there is still extant a decree of the Cnossians, probably of the second century B. C., in which Timotheus and Polyidus are mentioned with the highest praise. and their names associated with those of the ancient Cretan poets (see POLYIDUS, p. 467b.). Timotheus died in Macedonia, according to Stephanus of Byzantium (l.c.), who has preserved the following epitaph upon him. (Also in Jacobs, Anth. Pal. App. No. 295. vol. ii. p. 851.)
- πάτρα Μίλητος τίκτει Μούσαισι ποθεινὸν
- Τιμόθεον, κιθάρας δεξιὸν ἡνίοχον.