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and Pyrrhus of Erythrae, whose songs are familiar to a rustic in Theocritus.70 There is none otherwise until we come to Mesomedes in the time of Hadrian; and although he was remembered as 'the man who wrote the citharodic nomoi', it is not suggested that these were of particular significance in musical history.71 From the literary tradition we would get the impression that musical evolution came to an end in the fourth century BC. The musical documents, however, show that it did not. |
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Before we summarize their evidence, it is appropriate to describe the conditions in which music flourished as a public art in the Hellenistic and early imperial periods. |
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There was a general increase in the number of musical festivals and competitions. The Dionysiac festivals of Athens, with their rich offerings of music and drama, inspired the institution of similar Dionysia in other cities, and dramatic performances became a feature of other festivals too. Musical contests were added to the Nemean and Isthmian Games. A monument to the early third-century citharode Nicocles of Tarentum records his victories at the Pythian and Isthmian Games, the Great Panathenaea, the Lenaea (in a dithyramb), the Hecatomboia, the Helieia, and royal festivals in Macedonia and Alexandria.72 |
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The reference to royal festivals reflects the important role played by many rulers in promoting major musical events. At Alexander's five-day wedding festivities in Susa the company was entertained by a rhapsode, three psilocitharists, two citharodes, two aulodes, five auletes (who played the Pythikos nomos and then accompanied choruses), three tragic and three comic actors, and a harpist.73 At Ecbatana he organized athletic and musical contests in which, it is said, three thousand competitors took part.74 Demetrius Poliorcetes' nominal restoration of Athens' liberty and traditional constitution in 307 was the occasion for a competition for paeans sung in his honour.75 Harpalus engaged Athens' leading musicians for the funeral of the courtesan Pythionice, and the cortege was attended by |
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70 Theoc. Id. 4. 31 with schol., who describes Glauce as a composer of instrumental music; cf. Hedylus, HE 1883. She was better known as a citharode (below, p. 379). |
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71 Dio Cass. 77. 13; cf. Euseb. Chron. 01.230.4. |
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72IG 22. 3779. cf. Paus. 1.37.2. The Isthmian victory is noted as being the first there. |
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73 Chares. FGrH 125 F 4. |
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74 Plut. Alex. 72. 1, Arr. Ahab. 7. 14. 10. |
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75 Philochorus, FGrH 328 F 165. |
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