Ancient Greek Music

• Published in: Proceedings of the Musical Association Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 125 - 144
• Main Author: Abdy Williams, C. F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, etc Taylor & Francis Group 01-01-1897; Royal Musical Association; Oxford University Press, etc
• Subjects: Ancient Greek music; Flutes; Melody; Musical instruments; Musical keys; Musical modes; Musical notation; Musical rhythm; Octaves; Sound pitch
• ISSN: 0958-8442; 0269-0403; 2632-7716; 1471-6933
• DOI: 10.1093/jrma/24.1.125

I have often been asked the question, “How can we know anything about ancient Greek music?” or “How can any fragments of it that may be discovered be translated into modern notation?” The answer is simple enough. Of actual specimens of ancient Greek music, the existing examples may be counted on the fingers of the two hands, but a fairly considerable amount of its theory has come down to us in the works of Aristoxenus of Tarentum (who wrote treatises on harmonics and rhythm), Cleonides, Euclid, Nicomachus, Alypius (who has given us the complete notation), Gaudentius, Bacchius, senior, Aristides, Quintilianus (the anonymous writer), and finally Claudius Ptolemy and Plutarch. These authors flourished at various times, from about 300 B.C. to 200 A.D., the most ancient and the most important being Aristoxenus.