“The Knowledge of the Muses. Music in Ancient Greece, from the Archaic Period to the 4th Century”

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
in which students Ginevra, Mariavittoria and Matilde imagine an interview with Seikilos, the author of the eponymous epitaph accompanied by musical notation.

The video lectures reproduce the online seminars conducted by members of the research team. Each lesson is accompanied by a multiple-choice test (downloadable in pdf format) that can be used to check comprehension of the topics covered.

The Louvre Papyrus E 10534, the subject of this seminar, is an extremely interesting document because it displays some verses from a 4th century BC tragedy. Apart from the valuable information on the myth of Medea, which does not follow the universally known Euripides scheme, the papyrus is important because it contains aspects of dramaturgical technique and musical performance probably in use in post-classical theatre.

The seminar examines some of the numerous sources relating to actors in the 4th century BC, with a particular focus on vocality and gestures. The first part of the lecture is devoted to the description of their changing social and economic status, the second to the analysis of the sources relating to vocal performance. In conclusion, some considerations on the actor’s gestural expressiveness and, in particular, with the interpretation of the report according to which the actor Minnisco apostrophised his younger colleague Callippides with the nickname of monkey.

P.Lit.Lond. 77 handed down a dramatic text in iambic trimeter relating to the myth of Medea, probably composed in the postclassical period; many uncertainties remain due to the gaps, but it seems clear that the drama was set in Corinth and staged the conflict between Medea and Jason already dealt with in the Euripides’ drama of the same name. Apart from the textual problems, the main questions concern the assignment of the text to a dramatic genre and the identification of the speaking characters; in fact, it has been thought to be either a tragedy, a comedy, or finally a satirical drama.

The seminar analyses the peculiarities of the theatrical technique of Rhesus, a tragedy attributed to Euripides, but commonly dated to the 4th cent. In particular, we examine the nocturnal setting, the scenes of the parodos and epiparodos, the problems related to the entrances and exits of certain characters, with specific regard to the hypothesis of the use of a fourth actor, and the appearance of the goddess Athena. The analysis provides the image of an eventful, highly spectacular tragedy, full of innovative solutions in terms of theatrical technique.

The seminar reflects on the relationships that, according to ancient sources, could have existed between poetry and music on the one hand, and writing on the other. The paper also intends to contribute to shedding new light on the dynamics that led to the professionalization, secularization and technicalization of musical-poetic performance between the 5th and 4th centuries BC, fueling the merciless criticism launched against the new music by nostalgic conservatives of the ancient manner. 

The seminar delves into the role of Macedonian rulers in poetic-musical agonistics between the 5th and 4th centuries BC, tracing a path from the rise of Archelaus to Philip II (Alessandra Manieri) to the Asian expedition of Alexander the Great (Saulo Delle Donne).

The seminar is divided into two parts. The first, curated by Luigi Bravi, provides an analysis of the poems of the poet Aristonous of Corinth, transmitted through epigraphic sources. The second, presented by Serena Napoleone, offers an in-depth examination of the structure of the traditional nomos pythikos, with particular emphasis on specific aspects related to its performance.

The seminar aims to provide a rereading of the work of Evenus of Paros in the light of the earlier literary tradition, in particular the texts of Archilocus of Paros, and of what we may call his ‘contemporaries’, namely the elegy writers of the late 5th century BC, specifically Critias.

The seminar aims to provide a presentation of the Athenian choral competition that took place in Athens during the Thargelia festival. The first part, curated by Maria Elena Della Bona, focuses on the examination of the earliest literary evidence. The second, edited by Giovanni Boffa, focuses on the examination of the most ancient epigraphic sources.

The lecture is entitled Carion in the “New World” of Aristophanes’ Pluto, and is given by scholars Piero Totaro and Douglas Olson, who are preparing a new edition of the play.

The seminar aims to offer an examination of Plato’s reflection on the music-politics link. The first part, curated by Angelo Meriani, focuses on the reception of Damon’s theory in Plato’s thought, particularly in the Republic and the Protagoras; the second, curated by Eleonora Rocconi, focuses on the centrality of music in Plato’s political reflection, particularly in the Laws.

The seminar focuses on Menander’s Sikyonioi, whose history of the text is briefly reconstructed and the most relevant dramaturgical issues are examined, also in the light of iconographic evidence. In particular, the dynamics of recovery and reworking of literary reference models are investigated.

The seminar focuses on a dialogue between the literary sources of the myth of Apollo and Marsyas (Paola Dolcetti) and the ancient iconography on the myth (Susanna Sarti), with particular attention to the musical instruments involved in the story (kithara, aulos).

The seminar aims to present the innovations introduced in music and literature by Timotheus of Miletus. The first part, curated by Adelaide Fongoni, deals with the musical innovations introduced by the dithyrambic poets in 5th-4th century BC Athens, with particular attention to the figure of Timotheus; the second part, curated by Luca Bettarini, deals with the analysis of the main features of Timotheus’ language.

The seminar examines the remains of Menander’s Kitharistēs, of which approximately 150 verses have survived. The first part is devoted to the contextualisation of the work within the ‘New Comedy’ and Menander’s corpus. It then traces the well-known stages in the history of the text in antiquity and the phases of its rediscovery. Finally, the surviving fragments are presented.

The aim of the seminar (by Vivian Lorena Navarro Martinez) is to examine some fragments of fourth-century BC comedy related to the criticism of the poetic work and the biographical profile of four tragic authors of the fifth and fourth centuries BC.