Music: Did you mean...?

The lyre was a stringed musical instrument played by the ancient Greeks and was probably the most important and well-known instrument in the Greek world. It was closely related to the other stringed instruments: the chelys which was made...

The aulos was a musical wind instrument played by the ancient Greeks. It was also known as the kalamos or libykos lotos, which referred to the material from which part of the instrument was made: respectively, the reed and the Libyan lotus...

The tympanon (tympanum in Latin) was the most popular frame-drum in ancient Greek music, producing a loud rumbling sound not far from the sound of the orchestral timpani drums today. This percussion instrument was played mainly by women on...

The Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE) was among the most culturally significant of the early Chinese dynasties and the longest lasting of any in China's history, divided into two periods: Western Zhou (1046-771 BCE) and Eastern Zhou (771-256 BCE...

The ancient Greeks are often credited with building the foundations upon which all western cultures are built, and this impressive accolade stems from their innovative contributions to a wide range of human activities, from sports to medicine...

A reconstruction of the ancient Greek stringed instrument. It was associated with the god Apollo, regarded as the most gifted player of the instument and patron of musicians. (Museum of Ancient Greek Musical Instruments, Katakolon, Greece).

Greek red figure stemless cup from Apula, 330-320 BCE, depicting a dancing maenad - female follower of Dionysus - holding a bell and tambourine. (Archaeological Museum, Milan)

A modern reconstruction of the ancient Greek musical instrument, the sistrum (rattle). (Museum of Ancient Greek Musical Instruments, Katakolon)

The ancient Greek double aulos (diaulos) consisted of two pipes (auloi) attached at the mouthpiece and sometimes held in place with a leather strap (forveia) to the player's face. The pipes could be of equal length or unequal, the latter...

A detail from an Apulian red-figure bell krater by the Pronomos Painter. First quarter of the 4th century BCE. Depicted is Orpheus in Thracian dress defending himself against Maenads(?). (Taranto, Museo Nazionale Archeologico, temporary loan...