Phrynis
Who was Phrynis?
5th-century BC Greek musician and poet
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Phrynis (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Phrynnis of Mytilene was a well-known Greek dithyrambic poet and citharode who lived in the 5th century BCE, beginning his career by 446 BCE. He was born on the island of Lesbos, in the city of Mytilene, and later built his career in Athens during the peak of classical Greek culture. His father’s name might have been Camon or Cambon, though scholars are unsure. There is also debate over the spelling of his name, but Phrynnis is the authentic Aeolic Greek form.
Phrynnis was part of the Lesbian school of citharoedic music and was trained by Aristocleides, a musician from the Persian Wars era who claimed descent from the legendary Terpander. Before learning the cithara, Phrynnis played the flute, which might have shaped his unique approach to citharoedic music. His musical innovations drew criticism from comic poets like Pherecrates and Aristophanes, who saw them as corrupting traditional music forms.
One of his key innovations was adding two strings to the usual seven-stringed heptachord, creating a nine-stringed instrument. Plutarch wrote that when Phrynnis visited Sparta, the conservative Ephors cut two of his strings, forcing him to choose which two to sacrifice. Some scholars doubt the truth of this story, suggesting the string additions might have happened earlier, but his controversial technique of "bending" or "turning" the melody through modulation definitely caused a stir among traditional poets.
During his career, Phrynnis found success, being the first musician to win the musical contests set up by Pericles for the Panathenaic Games, probably in 445 BCE. He taught Timotheus of Miletus, who became a celebrated musician and eventually defeated Phrynnis in competition. Despite criticism from traditionalists, Phrynnis's innovations played a role in the development of Greek music during a lively period.
Before Fame
Before gaining fame as a citharode, Phrynnis started his musical career as a flute player, which was seen as less prestigious than playing the cithara. This experience with wind instruments might have influenced his unique approach to string music, bringing new musical ideas to the traditional citharoedic style.
He switched to the cithara when he began studying under Aristocleides, a well-known musician from the traditional Lesbian school of citharoedic music. This school traced its roots back to Terpander, the legendary 7th-century musician credited with creating many core ideas of Greek music. The 5th century BCE was a time when culture was thriving in Athens, with Pericles encouraging artistic innovation and starting new venues for music competitions. This created chances for talented musicians from all over the Greek world to show off their skills.
Key Achievements
- First victor in the musical contests established by Pericles for the Panathenaic Games (probably 445 BCE)
- Innovated the addition of two strings to the traditional seven-stringed heptachord
- Developed the controversial technique of melodic "bending" or modulation in citharoedic music
- Served as instructor to Timotheus of Miletus, who became a renowned musician
- Established himself as a leading figure in the evolution of Greek musical practice
Did You Know?
- 01.The Spartan Ephors reportedly cut two strings from his nine-stringed cithara when he visited their city, forcing him to choose between losing the highest or lowest strings
- 02.He was originally a flute-player before switching to the cithara, which may explain his unconventional approach to string music
- 03.Comic poets Pherecrates and Aristophanes specifically mocked his musical innovations in their plays, suggesting his techniques were well-known enough to be recognizable to theater audiences
- 04.His teacher Aristocleides claimed direct descent from the legendary musician Terpander, connecting Phrynnis to a prestigious musical lineage
- 05.He defeated all competitors to become the first winner of the musical contests that Pericles established for the Panathenaic Games