(Ancient) Greek Musical Instruments

Ancient Greeks considered music a form of art that was multidimensional, since it brought them together, it shaped their identities, it helped them expressed their emotions, it formed their "ethos" etc. In this post I will be referring to some of the instruments used to create music back in those times.

The Ancient Greek instruments can be divided into three main categories; string, wind and percussion/drum. 

The String Instruments:

The most well known String Instruments are the lyre and the kithara (guitar). The lyre was used for the education of the youth in coordination with the aulos and was associated with Zeus himself. Other String Instruments constitute the harp, the kanonaki and the barbiton. This kind of instruments were played with the fingers and so they were favored, since they allowed the performer to sing while playing.

lyre

The Wind Instruments:

 On the other hand, the wind instruments were played by blowing air or by requiring the flow of water. The aulos represents them, followed without order by the syrinx, the salpinx and the hydraulis.

Athena playing the aulos

The Percussion/Drum Instruments:

These instruments, among which were the tympanum, the krotalon, the kymvalon and the seistron, were usually played by women. They were used in ceremonies and more specifically the tympanum was used for the worshipping of Dionysus, Cybele and Sabazius.

tympanum

Ancient Greek society believed music to be the mean to connecting with God, or with the Gods, on whom they relied their whole existence. They thought that everything they did was either affected by the Gods or affecting them and therefore there would be consequences for actions that the higher beings did not approve. Therefore, it is apparent why they wanted to worship and respect them in every way possible and more importantly through music, which played a huge role in their lives.