A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1018 THALES. TIIALES.
plague, and composed the factions of the citizens, who was one of the men renowned in the island
who were at enmity with each other. (Paus. 1. c.; for wisdom and political abilities (E'va -rcsw vOeptePlut. Lycurg. 4; Ephorus, ap. Strab. x. pp. 480, AElvaWv 4KCE TOoplV Kal 7roAhILKwC'), and who, while
482; Sext. Empir. adv. Rhet. ii. p. 292, Fabric.; professing to be a lyric poet, used his art as a
Aelian. V. H. xii. 50.) At Sparta he became the pretext, but in fact devoted himself to political
head of a new school (KaTdroTraors) of music, which science in the same way as the ablest of legislators
appears never afterwards to have been sllpplanted, (7roL7rq/v aoiy 3Koov rTa AvpLKJ /xeAchWv Kcacl 7rp4and the influence of which was maintained also by OXv7ta rV T'XVS7J'TaTTrv 7re7ronLm'Olu', EPsy7, bp
Xenodamus of Cythera, Xenocritus of Locris, Po' d7rep of ictpd'ror'ot'tY VOYIEosoOsrEv aLaTrpaor'Aevo.V).
lymnestus of Colophon, and Sacadas of Argos. Add to this the great probability that later writers
(Plut. de Mues. 1. c.) These matters will be exa- mistook the sense of the word vo'/ol in the ancient
mined more fully presently; but the brief outline accounts of Thaletas; and his association with Lyjust given is necessary for the understanding of curgus is explained. It is not worth while to
the chronological investigation which follows. discuss the statement of Jerome (Chron. s. a. 1266,
In studying the early history of Greek lyric B. c. 750), who says that Thales of Miletus (propoetry, nothing would be more desirable, if it bably meaning Thales of Crete, for the philosowere possible, than to fix the precise dates of the pher's age is well known) lived in the reign of
musicians and poets who contributed to its deve- Romulus. Perhaps this may only be another form
lopment; that so we might trace the steps of its of the tradition which made him contemporary
progress, in relation to the time they occupied, the with Lycurgus.
social state of the people amongst whom they were The strictly historical evidence respecting the
made, and the order in which they followed from date of Thaletas is contained in three testimonies.
one another. It must, however, be confessed that, First, the statement of Glaucus, one of the highest
after all the labour which scholars have bestowed authorities on the subject, that he was later than
on the subject, there is an uncertainty, generally Archilochus. (Plut. de Mus. 10, p. 1134, d. e.)
to the extent of half a century, and in some cases Secondly, the fact recorded by Pausanias (i. 14.
more, respecting the dates of the earliest poets, ~ 4), that Polymnestus composed verses in his
while the more important point of their relative praise for the Lacedaemonians, whence it is proorder of succession and their distance from each bable that he was an elder contemporary of Polymother in time is beset with great difficulties. These nestus, and therefore older than Alcman, by whom
remarks apply most strongly to Thaletas, the va- Polymnestus was mentioned. (Plut. de Mus. 5,
rious dates assigned to whom, by ancient and mo- p. 1133, a.) Thirdly, in his account of the second
dern writers, range over a period from before the school or system (tcatrTaaoLs) of music at Sparta,
time of Homer down to the year B. c. 620. Plutarch tells us (de Alus. 9, p. 11 34, c.) that the
How uncertain, and even fabulous, were the tra- first system was established by Terpander; but of
ditions followed by the generality of the ancient the second the following had the best claim to be
writers respecting the date of Thaletas, is manifest considered as the leaders (tca'hasra alTial EXovv
from the statements of Suidas, that he lived before jrye$Jyves?yevE'eal), Thaletas, Xenodanlus, Xenothe time of Homer, of Demetrius Magnes (ap. critus, Polymnestus, and Sacadas; and that to
Diog. La'rt. i. 38), that he was " very ancient, them was ascribed the origin of the Gymnnopaedia
about the time of Hesiod and Homer and Lycur- in Lacedaemon, of the Apodeixeis in Arcadia, and
gus," and of the many other writers, who make of the Endyinatia in Argos. This important teshim contemporary with Lycurgus, and even an timony is very probably derived from the work of
elder contemporary. In nearly all the accounts, Glaucus. Lastly, Plutarch (de Mfus. 10, p. 1134,
above referred to, of the removal of Thaletas to e.) mentions a vague tradition, which is on the face
Sparta, he is said to have gone thither at the in- of it improbable, and which is quite unworthy to
vitation of Lycurgus, who used his influence to be placed by the side of the other three, that Thaprepare the minds of the people for his own laws; letas derived the rhythm called Maron and the
while some even speak of him as if he were a Cretic rhythm from the -music of the Phrygian
legislator, from whom Lycurgus derived some of flute-player Olympus (eK -yap rijs'OhAus/roU avA4his laws. (Sext. Empir. 1. c.; Arist. Pol. ii. 9. ac-wEs ~aAIraX v Haeir ESElpWyd-Oai Taiara- the con~ 5, ii. 12.) These accounts, which Aristotle text shows that Plutarch here deserts his guide,
(I. c.) condemns as anachronisms, can easily be Glaucus, and sets up against him the traditions of
explained. The influence of music upon character other writers, we know not whom).
and manners was in the opinion of the ancients so Now, from these testimonies we obtain the
great, that it was quite natural to speak of Ter- results, that Thaletas was younger than Archilopander and Thaletas as fellow-workers with the chus and Terpander, but older than Polymnestus
great legislator of the Spartans in forming the and Alcman, that he was the first of the poets of
character of the people; and then such statements the second Spartan school of music, by whose inwere interpreted by later writers in a chronological fluence the great Dorian festivals which have been
sense; for similar traditions are recorded of Ter- mentioned were either established, or, what is the
pander as well as of Thaletas. [TERPANDER.] more probable meaning, were systematically arMoreover, in the case of Thaletas, the supposed ranged in respect of the choruses which were per.
connection with Lycurgus would assume a more formed at them.
probable appearance on account of his coming from These conditions would all be satisfied by supCrete, from whence also Lycurgus was supposed to posing that Thaletas began to flourish early in the
have derived so many of his institutions; and this seventh century B. c., provided that we accept the
is, in fact, the specific form which the tradition argument for an earlier date of Terpander than
assumed (Ephor. ap. Strab. x. p. 482; Plut. Lycurg. that usually assigned to him [TERPANDER]. To
4), namely, that Lycurgus, arriving at Crete in escape from the difficulty as Clinton does (F. I.
the course of his travels, there met with Thaletas, vol. i. s. a. 644), by making Terpander later than