Concerning music (26-30)

Manifest from hence therefore it is, why the ancient Greeks, with more reason than others, were so careful to teach their children music. For they deemed it requisite by the assistance of music to form and compose the minds of youth to what was decent, sober, and virtuous; believing the use of music beneficially efficacious to incite to all serious actions, especially to the adventuring upon warlike dangers. To which purpose they made use of pipes or flutes when they advanced in battle array against their enemies; like the Lacedaemonians, who upon the same occasion caused the Castorean melody to be played before their battalions. Others inflamed their courage with harps, playing the same sort of harmony when they went to look danger in the face, as the Cretans did for a long time. Others, even to our own times, continue to use the trumpet. The Argives made use of flutes at their wrestling matches called Stheneia; which sort of sport was first instituted in honor of Danaus, but afterwards consecrated to Jupiter Sthenius, or Jupiter the Mighty. And now at

But among the more ancient Greeks, music in theatres was never known, for they employed their whole musical skill in the worship of the Gods and the education of youth; at which time, there being no theatres erected, music was yet confined within the walls of their temples, as being that with which they worshipped the supreme Deity and sang the praises of virtuous men. And it is probable that the word θέατρον, at a later period, and θεωρεῖν (to behold) much earlier, were derived from θεός (God). But in our age is such another face of new inventions, that there is not the least remembrance or care of that use of music which related to education; for all our musicians make it their business to court the theatre Muses, and study nothing but compositions for the stage.

But some will say, Did the ancients invent nothing themselves? Yes, say I, they did invent, but their inventions were grave and decent. For they who have written the history of music attribute to Terpander the addition of the Dorian nete, which before was not in use. Even the whole Mixolydian mood is a new invention. Such were also the Orthian manner of melody with Orthian rhythms, and also the Trochaeus Semantus.[*] And if we believe Pindar, Terpander was the inventor of the Scolion (or roundelay). Archilochus also invented the rhythmic composition of the iambic trimeter, the change to rhythms of different character, the melo-dramatic delivery,[*] and the

Of the Hypolydian mood they make Polymnestus the inventor, and the first that taught the lowering and raising of the voice (ἔκλυσις and ἐκβολή). To the same Olympus to whom they also ascribe the first invention of Grecian and well-regulated nomic music they attribute likewise the finding out the enharmonic music, the prosodiac measure to which is composed the hymn to Mars, and the chorean measure which he used in the hymns to the Mother of the Gods. Some report him to be the author also of the bacchius. And every one of the ancient songs show that this is so. But Lasus of Hermione, transferring the rhythms to suit the dithyrambic time, and making use of an instrument with many notes, made an absolute innovation upon the ancient music, by the use of more notes, and those more widely distributed.

In like manner Menalippides the lyric poet, Philoxenus and Timotheus, all forsook the ancient music. For whereas until the time of Terpander the Antissaean the harp had only seven strings, he[*] added a greater number, and gave its notes a wider range. The wind-music also

Music. ’Tis mine to speak, thy part to hear,

And therefore lend a willing ear;

Much have I suffered, long opprest

By Menalippides, that beast;

He haled me from Parnassus’ springs,

And plagued me with a dozen strings.

His rage howe’er sufficed not yet,

To make my miseries complete.

Cinesias, that cursed Attic,

A mere poetical pragmatic,

Such horrid strophes in mangled verse

Made the unharmonious stage rehearse,

That I, tormented with the pains

Of cruel dithyrambic strains,

Distorted lay, that you would swear

The right side now the left side were.

Nor did my miseries end here;

For Phrynis with his whirlwind brains,

Wringing and racking all my veins,

Ruined me quite, while nine small wires

With harmonies twice six he tires.

Yet might not he so much be blamed,

From all his errors soon reclaimed;

But then Timotheus with his freaks

Furrowed my face, and ploughed my cheeks.

Justice. Say which of them so vile could be?

Music. Milesian Pyrrhias, that was he,

Whose fury tortured me much more

Than all that I have named before;

Where’er I walk the streets alone,

If met by him, the angry clown,

With his twelve cat-guts strongly bound,

He leaves me helpless on the ground.[*]

Aristophanes the comic poet, making mention of Philoxenus, complains of his introducing lyric verses among the cyclic choruses, where he brings in Music thus speaking:—

He filled me with discordant measures airy,

Wicked Hyperbolaei and Niglari;

And to uphold the follies of his play,

Like a lank radish bowed me every way.