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cord to the centre of the base of the soundbox. All these features recur in lyres of the Archaic period, and argue some continuity of tradition.4 |
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The lyre is the only stringed instrument attested for the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations, and this seems to foreshadow its dominance in Classical Greece, where only the pipes approach it in importance, and all other instruments are of marginal significance. As between lyre and pipes, it was the lyre that in general enjoyed the greater prestige. It was the only instrument regularly played by an Olympian god (Apollo) and appreciated by the other gods. Aristoxenus and the other writers on harmony have lyre music primarily in view. |
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The Greek lyres are of several distinct types, which may be classified as follows: |
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1. Round-based ('phorminx', 'cradle kithara') |
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2. Square-based, standard type ('concert kithara') |
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3. Square- or round-based, horn-armed ('Thracian kithara') |
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4. Rectangular ('Italiote kithara') |
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1. Standard type ('lyra', 'chelys') |
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2. Long-armed ('barbitos') |
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The box lyres or kitharas have a more substantial sound-chest than the others, built out of wood. They are altogether more elaborately crafted and obviously more expensive. Thesein particular the A2 typewere the instruments used by the professional musician in public performance. The bowl lyres, with a soundbox generally made out of a tortoise shell, must have had a less powerful sound, and they were what was used in domestic settings, at the symposium, and in the Athenian schoolroom. |
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Before going into further detail, I must say something about nomenclature. The Greek words phorminx, kitharis or kithara, lyra, chelys, and barbitos overlap in usage. Homer uses only phorminx and kitharis, both of the same instrument, which was probably a round-based box lyre.5 Lyra appears from Archilochus on, and the |
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4 Wegner, Musik und Tanz, 26f.; C. W. Blegen, AJArch. 60 (1956), 96, pl. 41 (Pylos fresco); Maas-Snyder 2-3, 7-8, 16-18 (figs.). |
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5Phorminx, his usual word, looks ancient; -inx is an old suffix. and the verb phormizo appears to be an old derivative (from *phorming-yo). Kitharis is assumed to be a loan-word from a non-Greek language, but its source has not been traced. (The |
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(Footnote continued on next page) |
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