Extract

Native of *Tanagra in *Boeotia, less probably *Thebes (1) (Paus. 9. 22; Suda). Tradition made her a pupil of *Myrtis (Suda) and contemporary (perhaps older) and rival of *Pindar, whom she allegedly defeated (once, Paus. 9. 22; five times, Ael.VH 13. 25, Suda). *Aelian's statement that Pindar retorted by calling her a ‘Boeotian sow’ is a biographical fancy derived from Pindar (Ol. 6. 90), likewise *Plutarch's anecdote (De glor. Ath. 4. 347f–348a) presenting her as adviser to the young Pindar (cf. Pind. fr. 29). Her traditional date has been contested. No *Alexandrian scholar studied her work, and the earliest references to her belong to the 1st cent. bce (Anth. Pal. 9. 26; Prop. 2. 3. 21); the papyrus fragments consistently reflect the Boeotian orthography of the late 3rd cent. bce; her metre shows some affinities with *Attic drama and her simple style is unlike that of Archaic choral poetry; the papyrus presents sporadic Atticisms.