Music of ancient Rome

The music of ancient Rome was an important part of Roman life from the start. Songs, called carmen, were used in almost every social event. One famous song 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 began from Etruscan music and Ancient Greek music. At first, it was mostly used for military purposes. Roman music changed during the reign of Numa Pompilius. A Greek philosopher named Pythagoras found the first 7 notes in a musical scale, and Romans used this idea later.

Music in society

Music was very important in ancient Roman life, especially during religious events. It helped create special feelings and set the rhythm for ceremonies. Instruments like the tibia—a kind of woodwind—were often used during sacrifices and prayers to keep things peaceful. Special musicians called tibicines played these instruments in 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 liked music at private parties and dinners. They might hire musicians, even trained slaves, to play for fun. Women played 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 was important for young women from wealthy families. They learned to sing and practiced a lot to get better. Special teachers called phonascus helped them train their voices to sound nice and smooth.

Some rulers, like Nero, took good care of their health to keep their voices strong. Others thought that eating well and exercising helped singers perform better. Singers also did warm-up exercises before they performed.

Cultural views

In ancient Rome, music was mostly used at home. Some Romans thought music 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 worried that too much music might change people's character in bad ways. Female musicians were often respected more than male musicians, but there were rules about who could play music.

Instruments

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

Wind instruments

The Roman tuba was a long, straight bronze trumpet. It was used in the military for "bugle calls" and also at 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. They danced at religious festivals to thank the gods. Dance was important for them, especially during their Dionysia. Even before battles, Roman soldiers would dance to honor the god Mars. Music and dancing made sacrifices more special. Roman writers like Varro said dance helped people feel closer to their religion.

Dance was also fun during festivals. People would dance and sing in the streets. Sometimes they danced after celebrating with drinks, as Ovid described during events like the Anna Perenna. Romans sometimes brought dancers from other countries they had visited or trained slaves to dance. Some female dancers, called crotalisterias, used bells and clappers while performing. There was a dance called tripudia where dancers moved their feet in special ways. Pantomimists were actors in ancient Roman theatre who wore masks and costumes and moved in 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 have 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.