Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

MUSICA. MUSICA. 779
~yap'raTri', &XXiv Se obUealmav. Ma-yaiSeiLv harmonics was probably unknown; and this may
signified the singing or playing in two parts at all partly account for the major third escaping observinterval of an octave; and the word is derived ation. And anything like the modern system of
from ktduyals, the name of a stringed instrument harmony could probably no more have been inwhich had sufficient compass to allow a succession vented without the assistance of keyed instruments
of octaves to be played on it. (This practice of than the Elements of Euclid could have been commagadizing could not fail, of course, to arise as posed in the total absence of drawing materials.
soon as men and women attempted to sing the For a fuller account of ancient musical instruments
same melody at once.) The obvious meaning of see Bickh, iii. ] 1.
the passage then is, that since no interval except The chief authorities on the subject of this
the octave could be mayadized (the effect of any article are the "Antiquae Musicae Auctores
other is well known to be intolerable), tlzerefore no Septem," viz.: Aristoxenus, Euclid, Nicomachus,
other interval was employed at all; implying that Alypius, Gaudentius, Bacchius, Aristides, Quintino other kind of counterpoint than magadizing was lianus,and MartianusCapella, edited by Meibomius,
thought of. But the words are certainly capable in one volume (Amsterdam, 1652), to the pages of
of a somewhat milder interpretation. which the preceding quotations refer; the HarIn the next place, the constitution of the scale monies of Ptolemy (with an Appendix by Wallis,
was, as has been seen, very unfit for harmony, the Op. Matheenat. vol. iii.); the Dialogue of Plutarch;
beauty of which depends so essentially upon the and a section of the AristotelicProblemata; Burney,
use of thirds. The true major third was either not History of slusic; Biickh, de Metris Pindarti;
discovered or not admitted to be consonant till a Drieberg, Musikalisclze Wissenschaften der Griechen;
very late period, Ptolemy being the earliest extant and Aufjchliisse iiber die Musik der Grieclien; Bode,
author who speaks of the minor tone (Burney, vol. i. Gesce. der Lyrisch. Dichtkunst der Hellenen; Fortp. 448); a fact which is so extraordinary and so lage, Dase Muesikalische System der Grieclen, Leipzig,
contrary to all that could have been anticipated, 1847. [W. F. D.]
as to destroy all confidence in any a pr'iori reason- 2. ROMAN. It may well be believed that in
ings on the subject, and to exclude all but actual music as in the other arts, the genius of Greece
evidence on either side. The positive evidence in had left little for Romans to do, but admire and
JtZvour of the existence of counterpoint consists imitate. Yet we must not forget that another
chiefly in certain indications of two modes having element had been introduced into the arts of Rome,
been sometimes used at once. Thus the expression as well as into her language and government; one
in Horace (Epod. ix. 5), which was derived from Etruria, and partook of
"Sonante mistum tibiis carmen lyra an Oriental character. Every species of musical
Hae Dorium, illis barbarum," instrument found on Greek works of art is found
also on Etruscan. No doubt the early Roman
is interpreted to mean that the lyre was played in music was rude and coarse, still from the most
the Doriian mode, and the tibiae in the Lydian; ancient times mention is made of hymns and flutes
so that if the ancient Dorian and Lydian octave in their triumphal rocessions: so Servius Tullius
were employed, the former bein of the fourth ir triumphal processions: so Servius Tullius
were employed, the former being of the fourth in his comitia made two whole centuries of corspecies, while the latter was of the second, and in s comitia made two whole centuries of coalpitched two tones higher, the series of intervals
pitheard would consist of fourthe series and major thirds, or lowed at funerals ten players on the flute, and enrather d woubled consist of forths nd major thirds, or joined that "the praises of great men should be
Again, there are passages such as - sung in mournful songs (neniae) accompanied by
Again, there are passages such as the flute."
Aieoevs'gCaive Acpiav Ke'AEvOoe cluvF, The year B. c. 365 marks an era in Roman
(quoted from Pindar by the Scholiast on Pyth.n ii. music by its adaptation to theatrical amusements.
127), which are supposed to indicate that poetry It is in this year we find mention of a lectisternium,
written inl one mode and sung accordingly, was ac- at which actors were first brought from Etruria,
companied by instruments in another. For a view who, without verses, danced in dumb show to the
of the most that can be made of such arguments, sound of the flute. Some time later Livy (ix. 30)
see B1ckh, iii. 10. Our knowledge of the real mentions a curious tale of the desertion of certain
use of the modes is so very imperfect, that not Roman flute-players, who were only brought back
much reliance can be placed on thein; and at any by an amusing stratagem. We learn from Valerius
rate they would only prove the existence of a kind Maximus (ii. 5) that the Roman flute-players were
of naegadizing, modified by taking scales of differ- incorporated into a college, and Ovid (Fast. vi. 657),
ent (instead of the same) species for the two parts, speaking of their ancient importance, says -
so as to avoid the succession of intervals absolutely "Temporibus veterum tibicinis usus avorum
the same. This would certainly be the very lowest Magnus, et in magno semper honore fuit
kind of counterpoint; but if any thing more had Cantabat fanis, cantabat tibia ludis,
been practised, it would be absolutely impossible Cantabat moestis tibia funeribus."
to account for the utter silence of the theoretical
writers, which is all but fatal even to such a Nero, as Suetonius (Nero, 24) tells us, played
limited hypothesis. It is only necessary to add that on the flute, and came in a sort of triumphal prothe influence of instruments upon the development cession through Italy, bearing the spoils he had
of the art ought to be kept in view in considering won in 1800 musical contests. The same writer
this question. The Greeks had only two kinds of informs us that the emperor, to preserve his voice,
instrumental music, a;Aaeots and KcOdposes. The used to lie on his back with a thin plate of lead
atAos was always a pipe pierced with holes, so as on his stomach; that he took frequent emetics and
to have an artificial scale. The simple tube or cathartics, and at last transacted all business in
trumpet does not appear to have been used as a writing.
musical instrument, so that the scale of natural There does not appear to be any trace of a