Melanippides
Encyclopedia
Melanippides of Melos, one of the most celebrated lyric poets in the department of the dithyramb
, and an exponent of the "new music."
The date of Melanippides can only be fixed within rather uncertain limits. He may be said, somewhat to have flourished about the middle of the 5th-century BC. He was younger than Lasus of Hermione (Plut. Mus. p. 1141, c.), and than Diagoras of Melos
. He was 'contemporary with the comic poet Pherecrates
. He lived -for some time at the court of Archelaus of Macedon, and there died (ca. 412 BC)
His high reputation as a poet is intimated by Xenophon
, who makes Aristodemus
give him the first place among dithyrambic poets, by the side of Homer, Sophocles, Polyclitus
, and Zeuxis, as the chief masters in their respective arts (Xenoph. Mem. i. 4. §. 3), and by Plutarch, who mentions him, with Simonides and Euripides, as among the most distinguished masters of music (Non poss. suav. viv. sec. Epic. p. J095, d.). He did not, however, escape the censures which the old comic poets so often heap upon their lyric contemporaries, for their corruption of the severe beauties of the ancient music. Pherecrates places him at the head of such offenders, and charges him with relaxing and softening the ancient music by increasing the chords of the lyre to twelve (or, as we ought perhaps to read, ten) and thus paving the way for the further licences introduced by Cinesias, Phrynis, and Timotheus of Miletus
(Plut. de Mus. p. 1141; eomp. Meineke, Frag. Com. Grace, pp. 326—335). According to Aristotle, he altogether abandoned the antistrophic arrangement, and introduced long preludes (anabolai) in which the union, which was anciently considered essential, between music and the words of poetry, seems to have been severed (Aristot. Khet. iii. 9). Plutarch (or the author of the essay on music which bears his name) tells us that in his flute-music he subverted the old arrangement, by which the flute-player was hired and trained by the poet, and was entirely subordinate to him (De Mus. I. c.) ; but there is probably some mistake in this, as the fragment of Pherecrates, which the author quotes in confirmation of his statement, contains not a word about flute-music, but attacks only the alterations in the lyre; while, on the other hand, Athenaeus cites a passage from the Marsyas
of Melanippides, which seems to show that he rejected and despised flute-music altogether (Athen. xiv. p. 616,e.).
According to Suidas, Melanippides wrote lyric songs and dithyrambs. Several verses of his poems are still preserved, and the following titles, Marsyas, Persephone, The Danaids, which have misled Fabricius and others into the supposition that Melanippides was a tragic poet, a mistake which has been made with respect to the titles of the dithyrambs of other poets. The fragments are collected by Bergk
(Poet. Lyr. Graec. pp. 847— 850). We learn from Meleager of Gadara
(v. 7) that some of the hymns of Melanippides had a place in his Garland)
Dithyramb
The dithyramb was an ancient Greek hymn sung and danced in honour of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility; the term was also used as an epithet of the god: Plato, in The Laws, while discussing various kinds of music mentions "the birth of Dionysos, called, I think, the dithyramb." Plato also...
, and an exponent of the "new music."
The date of Melanippides can only be fixed within rather uncertain limits. He may be said, somewhat to have flourished about the middle of the 5th-century BC. He was younger than Lasus of Hermione (Plut. Mus. p. 1141, c.), and than Diagoras of Melos
Diagoras of Melos
Diagoras "the Atheist" of Melos was a Greek poet and sophist of the 5th century BCE. Throughout antiquity he was regarded as an atheist. With the exception of this one point, there is little information concerning his life and beliefs. He spoke out against the Greek religion, and criticized the...
. He was 'contemporary with the comic poet Pherecrates
Pherecrates
Pherecrates, was an Greek poet of Athenian Old Comedy, and a rough contemporary of Cratinus, Crates and Aristophanes. He was victorious at least once at the City Dionysia, first probably in the mid-440s Pherecrates, was an Greek poet of Athenian Old Comedy, and a rough contemporary of Cratinus,...
. He lived -for some time at the court of Archelaus of Macedon, and there died (ca. 412 BC)
His high reputation as a poet is intimated by Xenophon
Xenophon
Xenophon , son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, philosopher and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates...
, who makes Aristodemus
Aristodemus
In Greek mythology, Aristodemus was an Heracleidae, son of Aristomachus and brother of Cresphontes and Temenus. He was a great-great-grandson of Heracles and helped lead the fifth and final attack on Mycenae in the Peloponnesus....
give him the first place among dithyrambic poets, by the side of Homer, Sophocles, Polyclitus
Polyclitus
Polyclitus may refer to:* Polykleitos, Ancient Greek sculptor** Polykleitos the Younger, the Greek sculptor's son* Polyclitus , freedman of the Roman emperor Nero...
, and Zeuxis, as the chief masters in their respective arts (Xenoph. Mem. i. 4. §. 3), and by Plutarch, who mentions him, with Simonides and Euripides, as among the most distinguished masters of music (Non poss. suav. viv. sec. Epic. p. J095, d.). He did not, however, escape the censures which the old comic poets so often heap upon their lyric contemporaries, for their corruption of the severe beauties of the ancient music. Pherecrates places him at the head of such offenders, and charges him with relaxing and softening the ancient music by increasing the chords of the lyre to twelve (or, as we ought perhaps to read, ten) and thus paving the way for the further licences introduced by Cinesias, Phrynis, and Timotheus of Miletus
Timotheus of Miletus
Timotheus of Miletus was a Greek musician and dithyrambic poet, an exponent of the "new music." He added one or more strings to the lyre, whereby he incurred the displeasure of the Spartans and Athenians...
(Plut. de Mus. p. 1141; eomp. Meineke, Frag. Com. Grace, pp. 326—335). According to Aristotle, he altogether abandoned the antistrophic arrangement, and introduced long preludes (anabolai) in which the union, which was anciently considered essential, between music and the words of poetry, seems to have been severed (Aristot. Khet. iii. 9). Plutarch (or the author of the essay on music which bears his name) tells us that in his flute-music he subverted the old arrangement, by which the flute-player was hired and trained by the poet, and was entirely subordinate to him (De Mus. I. c.) ; but there is probably some mistake in this, as the fragment of Pherecrates, which the author quotes in confirmation of his statement, contains not a word about flute-music, but attacks only the alterations in the lyre; while, on the other hand, Athenaeus cites a passage from the Marsyas
Marsyas
In Greek mythology, the satyr Marsyas is a central figure in two stories involving music: in one, he picked up the double flute that had been abandoned by Athena and played it; in the other, he challenged Apollo to a contest of music and lost his hide and life...
of Melanippides, which seems to show that he rejected and despised flute-music altogether (Athen. xiv. p. 616,e.).
According to Suidas, Melanippides wrote lyric songs and dithyrambs. Several verses of his poems are still preserved, and the following titles, Marsyas, Persephone, The Danaids, which have misled Fabricius and others into the supposition that Melanippides was a tragic poet, a mistake which has been made with respect to the titles of the dithyrambs of other poets. The fragments are collected by Bergk
Theodor Bergk
Theodor Bergk was a German philologist, an authority on classical Greek poetry.-Biography:He was born in Leipzig. After studying at the University of Leipzig, where he profited by the instruction of G. Hermann, he was appointed in 1835 to the lectureship in Latin at the orphan school at Halle...
(Poet. Lyr. Graec. pp. 847— 850). We learn from Meleager of Gadara
Meleager of Gadara
Meleager of Gadara was a poet and collector of epigrams. He wrote some satirical prose, now lost, and he wrote some sensual poetry, of which, 134 epigrams survive...
(v. 7) that some of the hymns of Melanippides had a place in his Garland)