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
21. The same may be said of Tyrtaeus the Mantinean, Andreas the
Corinthian, Thrasyllus the Phliasian, and several others, who, as we
well know, abstained by choice from the chromatic, from transition,
from the increased number of strings, and many other common forms of
rhythms, tunes, diction, composition, and expression. Telephanes of
Megara was so great an enemy to the pipe made of reed (called syrinx),
that he would not suffer the instrument maker to join it to the flute
(pipe made of wood or horn), and chiefly for that reason forbore to
go to the Pythian games. In short, if a man should be thought to be
ignorant of that which he makes no use of, there would be found a great
number of ignorant persons in this age. For we see that the admirers of
the Dorian composition make no use of the Antiginedian; the followers
of the Antiginedian reject the Dorian; and other musicians refuse to
imitate Timotheus, being almost all bewitched with the trifles and the
idle poems of Polyidus. On the other side, if we dive into the business
of variety and compare antiquity with the present times, we shall find
there was great variety then, and that frequently made use of. For then
the variation of rhythm was more highly esteemed, and the change of
their manner of play more frequent. We are now lovers of fables, they
were then lovers of rhythm. Plain it is therefore, that the ancients
did not refrain from broken measures out of ignorance, but out of
judgment. And yet what wonder is this, when there are so many other
things necessary to human life which are not unknown, though not made
use of by those who have no occasion to use them? But they are refused,
and the use of them is altogether neglected, as not being found proper
on many occasions.
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