Plutarch's essays and miscellanies, Vol. 1 (of 5) : $b Comprising all his works collected under the title of "Morals"Plutarch
Philosophy
Plutarch's essays and miscellanies, Vol. 1 (of 5) : $b Comprising all his works collected under the title of "Morals"
Plutarch
Classical literature; Essays; Ethics; Philosophy
6. Now the music appropriated to the harp, such as it was in the time
of Terpander, continued in all its simplicity, till Phrynis grew into
esteem. For it was not the ancient custom to make lyric poems in the
present style, or to intermix measures and rhythms. For in each nome
they were careful to observe its own proper pitch; whence came the
expression _nome_ (from νόμος, _law_), because it was unlawful to
alter the pitch appointed for each one. At length, falling from their
devotion to the Gods, they began to sing the verses of Homer and other
poets. This is manifest by the proems of Terpander. Then for the form
of the harp, it was such as Cepion, one of Terpander’s scholars, first
caused to be made, and it was called the Asian harp, because the
Lesbian harpers bordering upon Asia always made use of it. And it is
said that Periclitus, a Lesbian by birth, was the last harper who won a
prize by his skill, which he did at one of the Spartan festivals called
Carneia; but he being dead, that succession of skilful musicians, which
had so long continued among the Lesbians, expired. Some there are who
erroneously believe that Hipponax was contemporary with Terpander, when
it is plain that Hipponax lived after Periclitus.
7. Having thus discoursed of the several nomes appropriated to the
stringed as well as to the wind instruments, we will now speak
something in particular concerning those peculiar to the wind
instruments. First they say, that Olympus, a Phrygian player upon
the flute, invented a certain nome in honor of Apollo, which he
called Polycephalus,[56] or of many heads. This Olympus, they say,
was descended from the first Olympus, the scholar of Marsyas, who
invented several forms of composition in honor of the Gods; and he,
being a boy beloved of Marsyas, and by him taught to play upon the
flute, first brought into Greece the laws of harmony. Others ascribe
the Polycephalus to Crates, the scholar of Olympus; though Pratinas
will have Olympus the younger to be the author of it. The Harmatian
nome is also said to be invented by Olympus, the scholar of Marsyas.
This Marsyas was by some said to be called Masses; which others deny,
not allowing him any other name but that of Marsyas, the son of that
Hyagnis who invented the art of playing upon the pipe. But that
Olympus was the author of the Harmatian nome is plainly to be seen in
Glaucus’s treatise of the ancient poets; and that Stesichorus of Himera
imitated neither Orpheus nor Terpander nor Antilochus nor Thales, but
Olympus, and that he made use of the Harmatian nome and the dactylic
dance, which some rather apply to the Orthian mood, while others aver
it to have been the invention of the Mysians, for that some of the
ancient pipers were Mysians.
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