Ancient Greece: Music History
Of course, there are several different ages in which the Greeks achieved different feats. For example, there was the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Dark Ages, the Archaic Period, the Classical Period, and the Hellenistic Period.
The Oldest Song Known:
The oldest song that is known to be the oldest is actually a brief composition by Greek composer Seikilos. Known as the Seikilos Epitaph this song was found inscribed on a tombstone pillar, and has been translated into many different versions, but each have the same meaning. Here are a few versions:
While you're alive, shine:
never let your mood decline. We've a brief span of life to spend: Time necessitates an end. |
While you live, dance and sing, be joyful:
For life is short, And Time carries away his prize. |
As long as you live, shine,
Let nothing grieve you beyond measure. For your life is short, and time will claim its toll. |
The Seikilos epitaph is the oldest surviving example of a complete musical composition, including musical notation, from anywhere in the world. The song, the melody of which is recorded, alongside its lyrics, in the ancient Greek musical notation, was found engraved on a tombstone, near Aidin, Turkey (not far from Ephesus). The find has been dated variously from around 200 BC to around AD 100. (From YouTube Description).
This second video is not as nice of recording when compared to the first one, but at the beginning some insight is given to the topic at hand.
Archaic Period – 800 BC- 480 BC
Music gradually became more complicated in both form and scale
Music competitions called Kamea were held
600 BC – 500 BC Pre-notation era…
Music gradually became more complicated in both form and scale
Music competitions called Kamea were held
600 BC – 500 BC Pre-notation era…