Terpander (Ancient Greek: Τέρπανδρος Terpandros) was a Greek poet and lyre player who lived during the first half of the 7th century BC. He was born in Antissa on the island of Lesbos. Terpander is known as the father of Greek music and the beginning of lyric poetry. However, he wrote very few poems, and they used very simple rhythms. He studied the singing styles of nearby countries and islands, simplified their rules, and created an organized system from these varied rhythms. Though he was creative and started a new era in music, he focused on organizing existing musical styles from Greece and Anatolia rather than inventing new ones. Terpander is considered the earliest known historical figure in the music of Ancient Greece.

Biography

Terpander became known for his singing and music, but after killing a man in a fight, he was forced to leave his home. During the Second Messenian War, he moved to Sparta, where some say he was called by the Delphic Oracle to help resolve conflicts between different groups in the city. In Sparta, he won a prize for his music at the Carneia festival.

He is considered the true creator of Greek classical music and lyric poetry. However, details about his musical changes are unclear. According to Strabo, Terpander added more strings to the lyre, increasing the number from four to seven. Others believe Strabo’s claim comes from a statement by Terpander, which suggests he created a new type of song called a citharoedic nomos, dividing the ode into seven parts instead of four. The seven-stringed lyre may have already existed before Terpander. He is also believed to have introduced new musical rhythms and was famous for writing songs sung during drinking events (skolia).

No complete poems written by Terpander have survived, and only a few lines of his work are recorded by later Greek writers. It is uncertain if any of his writings were ever written down.

Terpander is said to have died near Skiades, a place associated with the Carneia festival, after choking on a fig that was thrown as a gift after one of his performances.