The Modes of Ancient Greek Music. D. B. Monro

§ 27. The Musical Notation. The instrumental notes—original form and date 67 § 28. Traces of the Species in the Notation. Westphal's theory 75 § 29. Ptolemy's Scheme of Modes. Reduction of the Modes to seven—nomenclature according to value and according to position 78 § 30. Nomenclature by Position. The term thesis in Aristoxenus— in the Aristotelian Problems 81 § 31. Scales of the Lyre and Cithara. The scales on the lyre—on the cithara (viz. tritai, tropoi, parypatai, lydia, hypertropa, iastiaioliaia) 83 § 32. Remains of Greek Music. The hymns of Dionysius and Mesomedes—instrumental passages in the Anonymus—Mr. Ramsay's inscription— melody and accent—fragment of the Orestes 87 § 33. Modes of Aristides Quintilianus. The six Modes of Plato's Republic 94 § 34. Credibility of Aristides Quintilianus. Date of Aristides—genuineness of his scales 95

§ 35. Evidence for Scales of different species. The Hypo-dorian or common species—the Dorian—the Mixo-lydian—the Phrygian and the Hypo-phrygian— Aristotle on Dorian and Phrygian—the dithyramb	101
§ 36. Conclusion. Early importance of genus and key only—change in Ptolemy's time in the direction of the mediaeval Tones	108
§ 37. Epilogue—Speech and Song. Musical nature of Greek accent—relation of musical and ordinary utterance—agreement of melody and accent in the Seikelos inscription—rhythm of music and of prose—the stress accent (ictus)—music influenced by language—words and melody—want of harmony—the non-diatonic scales	113
Appendix.
Table I. Scales of the seven oldest Keys, with the species of the same name	127
Table II. The fifteen Keys	128
Music of the Orestes of Euripides	130
Musical part of the Seikelos inscription	133
The hymns recently discovered at Delphi: Hymn to Apollo—the scale—the changes of genus and key—the 'mode' identical with the modern Minor—the other fragments—the agreement of melody and accent	134
Index of passages discussed or referred to	142

THE MODES OF ANCIENT GREEK MUSIC.

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§ 1. Introductory.

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      The modes of ancient Greek music are of interest to us, not only as the forms under which the Fine Art of Music was developed by a people of extraordinary artistic capability, but also on account of the peculiar ethical influence ascribed to them by the greatest ancient philosophers. It appears from a well-known passage in the Republic of Plato, as well as from many other references, that in ancient Greece there were certain kinds or forms of music, which were known by national or tribal names—Dorian, Ionian, Phrygian, Lydian and the like: that each of these was believed to be capable, not only of expressing particular emotions, but of reacting on the sensibility in such a way as to exercise a powerful and specific influence in the formation of character: and consequently that the choice, among these varieties, of the musical forms to be admitted into the education of the state, was a matter of the most serious practical concern. If on a question of this kind we are inclined to distrust the imaginative temper of Plato we have only to turn to the discussion of the same subject in the Politics of Aristotle, and we shall find the Platonic view criticised in some important details, but treated in the main as being beyond controversy.

      The word harmonia, 'harmony,' applied to these forms of music by Plato and Aristotle, means literally 'fitting' or 'adjustment,' hence the 'tuning' of a series of notes on any principle, the formation of a 'scale' or 'gamut.' Other ancient writers use the word tropos, whence the Latin modus and our mood or 'mode,' generally employed in this sense by English scholars. The word 'mode' is open to the objection that in modern music it has a meaning which assumes just what it is our present business to prove or disprove about the 'modes' of Greek music. The word 'harmony,' however, is still more misleading, and on the whole it seems best to abide by the established use of 'mode' as a translation of harmonia, trusting that the context will show when the word has its distinctively modern sense, and when it simply denotes a musical scale of some particular kind.

      The rhythm of music is also recognized by both Plato and Aristotle as an important element in its moral value. On this part of the subject, however, we have much less material for a judgement. Plato goes on to the rhythms after he has done with the modes, and lays down the principle that they must not be complex or varied, but must be the rhythms of a sober and brave life. But he confesses that he cannot tell which these are (poia de poiou biou mimêmata ouk echô legein), and leaves the matter for future inquiry [1].

§ 2. Statement of the question.

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      What then are the musical forms to which Plato and Aristotle ascribe this remarkable efficacy? And what is the source of their influence on human emotion and character?

      There are two obvious relations in which the scales employed in any system of music may stand to each other. They may be related as two keys of the same mode in modern music: that is to say, we may have to do with a scale consisting of a fixed succession of intervals, which may vary in pitch—may be 'transposed,' as we say, from one pitch or key to another. Or the scales may differ as the Major mode differs from the Minor, namely in the order in which the intervals follow each other. In modern music we have these two modes, and each