(Τυρταῖος; Tyrtaîos). Spartan elegist and aulete, c. 640 BC (Suda s.v. Τυρταῖος, 1205; cf. T.' dating of Theopompus [1] to two generations before his own day, 5 W). The (probably Hellenistic) edition of his poems in 5 vols. (Suda loc.cit.) contains (1) martial exhortatory elegies, (2) the Eunomía and (3) war songs.
(1) The battle exhortations (ὑποθῆκαι/hypothêkai, Suda loc.cit.) urged the Spartans (always in the pl.) to courageous action against the enemy (Messenians: 23 W; Arcadians and Argives: 23a W). Honour in victory or death wa…