Page:The story of the flute (IA storyofflute1914fitz).djvu/35

 instrument sideways, (Fig. 7.) Servius considers that this was the instrument mentioned by Virgil in the line "Aut, ubi curva chores indixit tibia" (Æn. xi. 737), but more probably the Phrygian horn-flute was intended. Antigenidas, who increased the number of holes, so transported Alexander the Great by his playing of a martial air at a banquet that the monarch seized his weapons and almost attacked his guests. Epaminondas, the Theban general, when informed that the Athenians had sent troops into the Peloponnesus equipped with new arms, asked "whether Antigenidas was disturbed when he saw new flutes in the hands of Tellis" (a bad performer). Plutarch speaks of a flute-player named Dorion and mentions one Theodorus as a celebrated flute-maker.

Aristotle says that at first the flute was considered an ignoble instrument, only suitable for mean people, and not for freemen, but that after the defeat of the Persians it was much valued, and it became a disgrace to a gentleman not to be able to play it. The Tibicenes or professional flute-players were latterly highly honoured in Greece, statues were raised to them, they were paid very large sums, and were generally very well to do. Xenophon says that if a bad player on the flute wished