ON THE DATING OF TERPANDER FR. 2

Abstract

Surveying the ancient biography and work of Terpander, Maarit Kivilo has recently referred to an observation by Martin West on fr. 2 Gostoli: Ἀμφί μοι αὖτις ἄναχθ' ἑκαταβόλον ἀειδέτω φρήν Following parallels in Simonides, Pindar and Aeschylus, West would locate Terpander's use of φρήν in the fifth century b.c. While Kivilo realizes that this observation has serious implications for her attribution of fr. 2 to Terpander, whom she places in the early to mid seventh century, she does not make her own position clear. Other recent contributions by Antonia Gostoli, Alexander Beecroft, Luana Quatrocelli, Carlo Brillante and Timothy Power have not taken up the issue at all. Kivilo's study therefore presents an opportunity to revisit this fragment. While I would not venture to suggest a date, I do hope to show that the particular use of φρήν in fr. 2 does not necessarily point to the fifth century.