0. ANTIQUITY
The nine muses in a Roman sarcophagus (2nd c.)
GREECE
The history of Western music begins in ancient Greece, where music was considered an art of divine origin. The word music comes from the Greek term mousiké, which means "the art of the Muses". Greek myths often link music to the gods and it was believed to have magical powers, such as curing illnesses and influencing human behavior. For this reason, music was an important part of young people’s education.
Characteristics
The concept of music included music, poetry, theater and dance.
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Rhythm: organized into metrical feet, patterns of long and short notes that repeated regularly.
1. Trochee: long – short
2. Iamb: short – long
3. Dactyl: long – short – short
4. Anapaest: short – short – long
5. Spondee: long – long
6. Tribrach: short – short – short
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Melody: modal. Each mode was associated with a specific ethos, believed to influence emotions and behavior.
A) Dorian mode: noble and serious.
B) Phrygian mode: emotional and expressive.
C) Lydian mode: sad and plaintive.
D) Mixolydian mode: passionate.
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Texture: mainly monophonic, sometimes with heterophonic accompaniment.​
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Musical notation: they used alphabetic notation for the pitch of sound.
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Instruments
Greece
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String: lyre (1), cithara (2), barbiton (3), pandura (4).
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Wind: aulos (5), syrinx or pan flute (6), hydraulis (7),
salpinx (9). -
Percussion: tympanum (8), krupezion (12).
Rome
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Wind: tuba (9), lituus (10), cornu (11).
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Percussion: scabellum (12).
Music examples
One of the few preserved fragments of ancient Greek music is the Seikilos Epitaph.