Page:Pratt - The history of music (1907).djvu/54

 CHAPTER III

GREEK AND ROMAN MUSIC

17. In General.—The Greek mind was both analytic and constructive. In all the fine arts it seized upon styles already in existence and speedily developed them with a scope and ideality unknown before. In the case of music, this expansion was notably scientific and philosophical as well as technical. Though the conclusions reached were limited by various causes, they were yet acute for their time and have since been highly influential. In Greek music we find the immediate source of early mediæval music and thus indirectly of modern music.

Our knowledge of Greek music is, however, one-sided, being drawn almost wholly from works about music rather than from examples. Of the practical working of the system we know little, except that music was joined more intimately with poetry and with general culture than is now common.

It is not easy to mark off the historic stages in musical development, except in a very rough and general way. The following periods, however, are to be borne in mind:—

The Mythical or Heroic Age—the time of the itinerant minstrel or bard—prior to about 675, when popular contests in music and poetry began in Sparta.

The Classical Period, culminating in the 5th century, but continuing till the downfall of Greek independence in 338, during which the practice of music-poetry was developed, chiefly at Athens or near by.

The Alexandrian Period, from about 325 to the Christian Era and after, in which the older versatile originality gave place to scientific criticism or mere imitation, chiefly at Alexandria.

The Roman Period, from the time of Augustus until the Roman Empire was dissolved, during which all the arts of Greece were extensively adopted, often in degenerate forms, by the dominant peoples to the west.

From all these periods we find mention of musical performers, teachers and theorists, some of whom are named below.

18. Union of Music with Poetry.—In Greek thought what we call poetry and music were intimately blended, both being held