Tirtey

Tirtey ( dr. Greek Τυρταῖος ) - Greek poet of the 7th century BC e.

According to ancient tradition, the Spartans , oppressed by defeats in the Second Messenian War , appealed to Athens with the suggestion of the oracle to give them a commander. The Athenians mocked them with the lame school teacher Tirtheus, but he managed to set the Spartans' hearts on fire with his songs, breathed in them indestructible courage, and thereby delivered them a triumph over the enemies.

Tirtey's poems, according to ancient grammars, were published in 5 books. "Beautification" (ευνομία), the most famous elegy of Tirtheus - a poem in the Ionian dialect, consisting of a long series of elegiac couplets. Small passages survived from it, supplemented by information about its contents from Aristotle (Politics, V, 6, 2) and Pausanias (IV, 18, 1). The poem glorified the rule of law and accomplishment, established since ancient times by the gods themselves and shocked by the Messenian wars and strife within the Spartan community. The distribution of power between kings, elders and people comes from Apollo and was announced by the Delphic oracle (fragment 4). The conclusion of the poem was an appeal to patriotism and courage of the entire Spartan people in the name of benefits inseparable from the kingdom of law and order. "Selfishness, nothing else will ruin Sparta," reads one of the poems of the poem. In content, the political elegy of Solon is close to the "Beautification" of Tirtea.

The other elegy of Tirtheus are known by the name of the “Exhortations” (υποθηκαί), as some of the Solonian poems were called. Thanks to speaker Lycurgus and Stobei, three significant fragments of elegy in 30–40 verses each reached us. They are close to each other, not only in their general warlike tone, but also in certain features, with which a brave warrior and coward are drawn on the battlefield, the fate of both during life and death, the fate of the children of both and all their offspring; advice, cautions, and promises are interspersed with vividly contoured images of those fighting, or those who fell in battle, or who fled from the battlefield, or who returned safely after victory. The main motive of the two “exhortations” is the opposition of the hero and the coward, the exaltation of one and the merciless condemnation of the other. In the elegy of Tirtea one can hear the ringing of weapons, the commotion of battle, but at the same time, confidence in victory if the warriors follow the poet’s suggestion. In historical time, not only the Spartans, but also the Athenians found these poems suitable for training young men in military valor and fearlessness before the enemy.

We will stand bravely for our homeland and protecting children,
We lay bones, not sparing life in a brave battle.
Boys, fight in rows, don't be an example
The evils of shameful il cowardice miserable others.
Keep the spirit in your chest forever daring and powerful
And do not spare the soul, going out with enemies to the battle ...
Let, having stepped broadly and with your feet resting on the ground,
Everyone stands still, lips pressed with teeth.
(From the textbook: Korovkin F.P. History of the ancient world. - M., 1980, p. 127).

Since the descendants of you are all non-basic in the battles of Hercules,
Be cheerful, still Zeus has not turned away from us!
Do not be afraid of enormous hordes of huge, do not know fear,
Everyone let him keep his shield right between the first fighters,
Considering life as hateful, but the gloomy messengers of death -
Lovely, how are the sun's golden rays lovely to us!

Tirtey’s poems, written in the style of the Ionian elegy and in many respects echoing the Greek epic, contain praise to the Spartan institutions, myths sanctifying the old Spartan community, calls for maintaining a “good order”, glorification of military valor and a description of the miserable fate of a coward. The artless but powerful poems of Tirtheus served the Spartans as war songs.