Music of ancient Rome

The music of ancient Rome was an important part of Roman life from the very beginning. Songs, called carmen, were used in almost every social event. One famous example is the Secular Ode by the writer Horace. This special song was asked for by the leader Augustus and sung by children at the Secular Games in the year 17 BC. Music was also played at funerals and during religious ceremonies. A common instrument was the tibia, similar to a woodwind called the Greek aulos. People believed that music showed the order of the universe and was connected to math and learning.

The music of the Etruscans influenced Roman music early on. During the time when Rome ruled many lands, called the Imperial period, Roman music traveled to many places. Traditions from Asia Minor, North Africa, and Gaul also became part of Roman culture.

Music was also part of big public shows and events in arenas. It accompanied a performance art called pantomimus, which was like an early version of story ballet. This art form used dancing, music, and singing to tell stories.

History

Ancient Roman music and singing started from Etruscan music and then Ancient Greek music. In the beginning, it was mostly used for military purposes. According to Cicero, Roman musical traditions changed during the reign of Numa Pompilius. A Greek philosopher named Pythagoras discovered the first 7 notes in a musical scale, and this idea was used in the Roman Empire.

Music in society

Music was very important in ancient Roman life, especially in religious events. It helped set the rhythm of ceremonies and create special feelings. Instruments like the tibia—a kind of woodwind—were used a lot during sacrifices and prayers to keep things peaceful and focused. Special musicians called tibicines played these instruments during important rituals. Music was also part of big public games, like when gladiators fought, starting with a horn blast and music playing throughout. Musicians helped tell stories in plays and kept the audience interested.

Romans also enjoyed music at private parties and dinners, where they might hire musicians, even trained slaves, to play for fun. Women played different instruments, like harps and small lyres, at home. Musical contests were held during festivals, and some groups of musicians were respected for keeping traditions alive.

Education and training

Music or and young women from wealthy families often learned music. Singers practiced a lot to improve their skills. Special teachers called phonascus helped them train their voices to be flexible and smooth.

Some rulers, like Nero, took special care of their health to keep their voices strong. Others believed staying healthy through good food and exercise helped singers perform better. Singers also did warm-up exercises to get ready for performing.

Cultural views

In ancient Rome, music was mostly used in homes. Some Romans thought music was a powerful tool that could change people's feelings and behavior. They believed it could make people feel better or calm them down.

Famous Roman writers like Cicero thought music was important for learning and could help people listen better. However, some Romans also thought too much music might change people's character in negative ways. Female musicians were often respected more than male musicians, but there were rules about who could and could not play music.

Instruments

Roman art shows many types of wind, brass, percussion, and string instruments. Roman-style instruments have been found in many parts of the empire, showing that music was an important part of Roman culture everywhere.

Wind instruments

The Roman tuba was a long, straight bronze trumpet. It was used in the military for "bugle calls" and also in games and big events. The cornu was a curved metal wind instrument used for military signals and parades. The tibia was a double-reed wind instrument, like two oboes together, used in many Roman ceremonies.

String instruments

The lyre was a string instrument borrowed from the Greeks. The cithara was similar to a modern guitar. The lute was another string instrument, but it was less common than the lyre and cithara.

Organs

Mosaics show instruments that look like a mix between a bagpipe and an organ. The hydraulis was a special organ that used water pressure to make music. It played at gladiator contests, arena events, and stage shows, and even in some homes.

Percussion

There were wooden or metal clappers called a scabellum for keeping rhythm. Other percussion instruments included rattles, bells, tambourines, and the sistrum, a special rattle used in rituals. Cymbala were small metal discs played in pairs by hitting them together.

Dance

The Salii and the Arval Brethren were groups of priests in ancient Rome who danced at religious festivals to thank the gods. Dance was an important part of their Dionysia and even before battles, Roman soldiers would dance to honor the god Mars. Music and dancing were also used during sacrifices to make them special. Roman writers like Varro said that dance helped people feel more connected to their religion.

Dance was also fun entertainment during festivals. People would dance and sing in the streets, sometimes after having a little too much to drink, as described by Ovid during events like the Anna Perenna. Romans sometimes brought in dancers from other countries they had conquered or trained slaves to dance. Some female dancers, called crotalisterias, used bells and clappers while performing. There was also a type of dance called tripudia where dancers moved with their feet in special ways. Pantomimists were actors in ancient Roman theatre who wore masks and costumes and moved in very expressive ways. Some leaders in Rome did not like certain kinds of dancing, especially if it came from other cultures or seemed inappropriate. They thought dancing should mostly be for lower-class professionals.

Discography

Here are some recordings that feature music from ancient Rome:

• Synaulia, Music of Ancient Rome, Vol. I – Wind Instruments - Amiata Records ARNR 1396, Florence, 1996.
• Synaulia, Music of Ancient Rome, Vol. II – String Instruments - Amiata Records, ARNR 0302, Rome, 2002.
• Thaleia, Carmina Canere Music of Ancient Rome, Vol. I – Tarragona - Spain 2012.
• Ludi Scaenici, E Tempore Emergo - Rome, Italy - 2001
• Ludi Scaenici, Festina Lente - Rome, Italy - 2011
• Ensemble Kérylos, dir. Annie Bélis, De la pierre au son : musique de l'antiquité, K617, 1996.
• Ensemble Kérylos, dir. Annie Bélis, D'Euripide aux premiers chrétiens : musique de l'antiquité, 2016.