That the religious music and poetry of the Dorians originated in Crete, has been shown above:(1546) and perhaps the loud and irregular music of the early Phrygian inhabitants first awakened a taste for that art among the Dorians. The nome, the pæan, and the hyporcheme,(1547) had been known in Crete from an early period, though the more polished form of the two last was introduced by Thaletas. The dances in a ring were often connected with the nome and hyporcheme, according to an ancient custom in Crete and the neighbouring regions; and they were danced by both men and women.(1548) At Sparta there were the same dancers, known by the name of ῥμοι, or _ornaments_.(1549) The youth danced first some movements suited to his age, and of a military nature; the maiden followed in measured steps, and with feminine gestures. The Spartan music was in general derived from the Cretan, nor did it attempt to disown its origin; indeed many favourite dances, with their tunes, and certain pæans, ordered by law to be sung at appointed times, together with many other kinds of music, were called Cretan.(1550) But it cannot be denied that, although their origin may have been similar, their progress and development were very different. The Cretan music appears to have been almost entirely warlike and religious, while the Spartan, from the time of Alcman, was adapted to more various purposes. Peculiar kinds of Lacedæmonian dances were in existence at the time of Cleisthenes of Sicyon;(1551) they consisted both of motions of the hands and feet, as Aristoxenus states of several ancient national dances.(1552) The early zeal for music in these regions is shown by the contests in the temple of Zeus at Ithome in Messenia, in which Eumelus engaged before the first war with Lacedæmon:(1553) the contests of the Muses connected with the Carnean festival began in the 26th Olympiad (676 B.C.). In the time of Polycrates, Argos possessed the most celebrated musicians in Greece,(1554) particularly flute-players; about the 48th Olympiad (588 B.C.) Sacadas wrote poetry, composed music, and played lyric songs and elegies to the flute:(1555) a particular kind of flute was called the Argive.(1556) Sicyon also appears to have had a share in these improvements: for after Sacadas had thrice gained the prize, Pythocritus of Sicyon was victorious in six following contests;(1557) and the dithyrambic chorus to the flute was performed there with great skill and effect.(1558) That at Sicyon, Corinth, and Phlius, the worship of Bacchus gave a peculiar turn to music and poetry, has been remarked above,(1559) and will be explained at greater length hereafter. In Sicily the worship of Demeter prevailed, which was always attended with a degree of licentiousness; the Syracusan choruses of iambists(1560) were, without doubt, connected with this worship.(1561) The circumstance that the effeminate dances of the Ionians were celebrated there in honour of