Greek Lyric
Lamprus
Testimonia Vitae Atque Artis
1 [Plut.] Mus. 31. 1142b (p. 126 Lasserre, vi 3. 26s. Ziegler)
τῶν γὰρ κατὰ τὴν αὑτοῦ ἡλικίαν φησὶ (sc. Ἀριστόξενος) Τελεσίᾳ τῷ Θηβαίῳ συμβῆναι νέῳ μὲν ὄντι τραφῆναι ἐν τῇ καλλίστῃ μουσικῇ καὶ μαθεῖν ἄλλα τε τῶν εὐδοκιμούντων καὶ δὴ καὶ τὰ Πινδάρου τά τε Διονυσίου τοῦ Θηβαίου καὶ τὰ Λάμπρου καὶ τὰ Πρατίνου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ὅσοι τῶν λυρικῶν ἄνδρες ἐγένοντο ποιηταὶ κρουμάτων ἀγαθοί.
2 Athen. 1. 20e (i 45 Kaibel)
Σοφοκλῆς δὲ πρὸς τῷ καλὸς γεγενῆσθαι τὴν ὥραν ἦν καὶ ὀρχηστικὴν δεδιδαγμένος καὶ μουσικὴν ἔτι παῖς ὢν παρὰ Λάμπρῳ.
Lamprus
Lamprus
life and work
1 ‘Plutarch’, On Music
Aristoxenus says that among his contemporaries Telesias1 of Thebes was brought up in his youth on the most beautiful music and learned the works of the distinguished poets, in particular Pindar, Dionysius2 of Thebes, Lamprus, Pratinas and all the other lyric poets who composed good music for the lyre.
2 Athenaeus, Scholars at Dinner
Sophocles in addition to being a handsome youth had been taught dancing and music in his boyhood by Lamprus.1
- 1Unknown.
- 2Since he taught music to Epaminondas (Nepos, Epam. 2, who calls him ‘as famous as Damon or Lamprus’), his work belongs to the second half of the 5th c.
- 1C. 480 b.c., since Sophocles was born c. 496? In Plato, Menexenus 236a Socrates speaks of Lamprus as a less than great music teacher. Since Phrynichus (test. 3 below) seems to portray Lamprus as a late 5th c. figure, it may have been the poet Lamprocles (see frr. 735–6 P.M.G.) who taught Sophocles.