Musical Myths and Facts - Volume II Part 19
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Volume II Part 19

-----------------------+------+--------------------------------------- | B. C.| Cadmus, from | 2000 | Music, with other arts and sciences, Phoenicia, and | | is introduced into Greece from Western Cecrops, from | | Asia and Egypt.

Egypt, settle in | | Greece. | | Abraham (1900). | 1750 | The Jews have vocal music with Joseph (1750). | | instrumental accompaniment (Gen., Moses (1550). | | Chap. x.x.xi., v. 26, 27).

| | The oracle of | 1500 | Hyagnis, in Greece, improves the Delphi. | | flute and invents the Phrygian Mode.

| | Daedalus, Grecian | | Marsyas, a distinguished sculptor | | flute-player, invents a new species of and architect, | | flute made of metal.

invents the sails | | of ships, &c. | | Linus ventures upon a musical | | contest with Apollo, and is killed | | by him.

| | | | "Then sang Moses and the children | | of Israel." (Exod. xv.) The Argonauts, | 1300 | Orpheus, lyrist, singer, poet, and led by Jason, | | law-giver, composes hymns.

sail to Colchis. | | Hercules. | | Amphion, lyrist, singer, and Theseus. | | composer, improves the Grecian lyre.

Triptolemus introduces | | Musaeus, lyrist, sets music to the agriculture | | words of the oracles.

into | | Greece. | | Castor and Pollux, | | About this time the Greeks Grecian | | inst.i.tuted most of their public games heroes. | | in which musical contests formed part.

| | Tyrus, on the | 1250 | Olympus of Mysia, a celebrated coast of Phoenice, | | flutist. Daphnis of Sicily. To him is founded | | ascribed the invention of the by a colony of | | chalumeau, and of the bucolic poetry.

Sidonians. | | Adrastus celebrates | | Thamiris, singer and player on the the first | | kithara, a species of lyre, is chosen Pythian Games | | by the Scythians for their King on in honour of | | account of his musical Apollo. | | accomplishments.

| | Amazons, or | 1240 | Euneus, a distinguished singer and female warriors, | | kithara-player of Greece. His from the | | descendants remain during many Caucasus, invade | | generations the privileged Greece. | | kithara-players at the | | public festivities in Athens.

| | Troy taken by | 1200 | Agias, a celebrated Greek musician the Greeks | | about the time of the destruction of (1184). | | Troy.

| | Grecian heroes: | | The invention of the Dorian Mode is Menelaus, | | ascribed to Lamyras of Thracia; the Agamemnon, | | invention of the Lydian Mode, to Achilles, | | Carius; and the invention of the Ulysses. | | Ionian Mode, to Pythermus.

| | Trojan heroes: | | Celmis, a priest of Creta, invents Priam, Hector, | | (or probably improves) several Paris, aeneas. | | instruments of percussion.

| | Codrus, the last | 1100 | Ardalus, of Troezen, invents a new King of Athens | | species of flute for accompanying (1070). Abolition | | vocal music.

of Royalty. | | King Saul. | | The Greeks about this time possessed Cheops, the | | various kinds of stringed instruments builder of the | | and wind instruments, and the names greatest Pyramid | | of several musicians are recorded who in Egypt. | | improved the instruments, or | | introduced innovations in the | | construction of the popular ones.

| | | 1050 | David, King of Judah, musician and | | poet. Psalms.

| | King Solomon | | King David inst.i.tutes in Jerusalem a (1010-975). | | School for vocal and instrumental | | music (I. Chron., Chap. xv., v. 16).

Dido builds the | 1000 | Bardus, a King of Gallia, is said to city of Carthage | | have introduced music into Western on the | | Europe, and to have been the first of north coast of | | the singers known as the Bards.

Africa. | | Development of | 900 | Homer, singer and poet, born the Republics | | probably in Chios. Iliad and Odyssey.

in Greece. | | Lycurgus reforms | 850 | Hesiodus, singer and poet, born in the Republic of | | Boeotia. Simmicus, inventor of an Lacedaemonia, | | instrument with thirty-five strings, and gives laws | | called Simmikon or Simmicium.

to the Spartans. | | Thaletas, of Creta, musician and poet, | | composes in Sparta, under Lycurgus, | | the laws and war-songs for the voice.

| | Phoecinus, of Greece, sketches the | | first musical rules.

| | Rome founded by | 800 | Olympus, of Phrygia, flutist, Romulus (754). | | invents the Enharmonic scale.

| | | 720 | Archilochus, of Paros, singer, poet, | | and instrumentalist.

| | | | Important improvements in the music | | of the Greeks.

| | | 700 | Tyrtaeus, of Athens, poet, singer, | | and trumpeter, composes war-songs for | | Sparta against Messenia.

| | | 650 | TERPANDER, of Lesbos, lyrist, | | flutist, and composer. Important | | progress in the music of the Greeks.

| | Circ.u.mnavigation | 625 | Arion, of Lesbos, kithara-player, of the coast of | | singer and poet, invents the Africa under | | Dithyrambs, or hymns of Bacchus, and Necho, King | | improves the chorus-singing. He is of Egypt (615). | | recorded to have healed sick persons | | by means of music. The same is also | | recorded of Menias, a Greek musician, | | who lived about this time.

| | Nebuchadnezzar, | 600 | Stesichorus, of Sicily, composes King of Babylon, | | choruses with instrumental carries the | | accompaniment, besides airs to his Jews into captivity. | | poems.

| | | | Alcaeus, of Mytilene, singer, lyrist, | | and poet.

| | Solon, law-giver, | | Sappho, of Mytilene, female singer, in Athens. | | lyrist, and poetess. To her is | | ascribed the invention of a stringed | | instrument called Barbitos.

| | The seven sages | 570 | The Romans, under the King Servius of Greece:--Solon, | | Tullius, introduce trumpets and horns Thales, | | of metal into their army.

Periander, | | Cleobulus, | | Pittacus, Bias, | | Chilo. | | Cyrus conquers | 550 | About this time was performed in Lydia and dethrones | | Athens, under Thespis, the first Croesus. | | tragedy with choruses set to music.

| | Confucius, Chinese | | philosopher. | | | | Zoroaster in | | Persia. | | | | Tarquinius Superbus, | 530 | PYTHAGORAS, of Samos, the | | philosopher, studies music in Egypt, last King of | | founds in Greece a great School of Rome, is expelled. | | music based upon mathematical | | principles; invents the monochord for Rome becomes a | | measuring the sound; ascertains the Republic (510). | | harmonious Triad, the diatonic | | intervals, etc.

Cambyses conquers | | Egypt (509). | | | 500 | Lasus, of Achaia, writes treatises | | on the theory of music.

| | Battle of Marathon, | | aeschylus, born at Athens about in which the Greeks, | | 525, singer and writer of Tragedies.

commanded by | | Miltiades, defeat | | Simonides, of Ceos, born in 557, the Persians (490). | | died 468, lyrist and poet.

| | | | Pindar, born at Thebes, in Boeotia, Xerxes invades | | about the year 520, flutist, lyrist, Greece (487). | | poet, and composer. Many hymns, odes, | | etc.

| | Battle of Salamis | | Corinna, of Tanagra, in Boeotia, in which | | female singer and poetess. Several Themistocles | | times gains the victory in contest defeats the | | with Pindar at the public games at Persians (480). | | Thebes.

| | Leonidas. | | Anacreon, of Teos, lyric poet and | | musician. To him is attributed the Themistocles | | invention of several stringed banished from | | instruments.

Athens (471). | | | | Cimon defeats | | The Greeks had about this time the Persians | | several accomplished players on the (466). | | kithara, flute, and other instruments, | | who introduced new and brilliant | | pa.s.sages and embellishments into their | | performances.

| | Pericles, Greek | 450 | The highest degree of perfection of General and | | the dramatic art in Greece through orator. | | aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Herodotus, historian. | | through the musical composer Damon, | | the singer Agathon, etc., at Athens.

| | Phidias, sculptor. | | Democritus, of Abdera, philosopher, Hippocrates, | | writes seven books on music.

physician. | | Commencement | 430 | Lysander, of Sycion, invents a more of the Peloponnesian | | artistic instrumental accompaniment to war | | vocal music.

between the | | Athenians and | | Spartans which | | Alexandrides extends the compa.s.s of lasts twenty-seven | | the Greek wind instruments.

years | | (431). | | | | Socrates (469-399). | 400 | Timotheus, of Miletus, Asia Minor Alcibiades. | | singer, kithara-player and poet, | | composes many works, and improves the | | lyre.

| | Brennus, Chief of | | Plato, philosopher, in his works the Gauls, | | treats also on music.

burns & sacks | | Rome (390). | | Demosthenes | 360 | About this time, the first dramatic (384-322). | | performances with music in Rome.

| | Diogenes (350). | 350 | Aristoteles, of Stagira, born in Alexander, the | | 384, philosopher and musician. In his Great, son of | | works much about music.

Philip of Macedonia | | (333). | | Ptolemy I., King | 310 | ARISTOXENUS, of Tarentum, born in of Egypt, encourages | | 340, philosopher and musician, founds the | | a new School of music which is in cultivation of | | opposition to the teaching of sciences and | | Pythagoras, generally accepted until arts in his kingdom, | | that time. He writes many treatises & founds | | on music. Division of the musicians a library in | | into Musici, or the followers of Alexandria. | | Aristoxenus, who derive the rules of | | music from its effect upon the | | ear,--and Canonici, or the followers | | of Pythagoras, who derive them from | | mathematical laws.

| | Pyrrhus, King of | 300 | About this period the Greeks made Epirus, is defeated | | many improvements in the construction by the | | of their musical instruments.

Romans (275). | | | | Euclides, of Alexandria, born in | | 323, died 283, mathematician, writes | | on the theory of music and acoustics.

| | The first Punic | 250 | Archimedes, of Syracuse, born in war (264-241). | | 287, died 212, mathematician, is said The second Punic | | to have invented the hydraulic organ.

war (218-202). | | | | Scipio defeats | | Ctesibius, of Alexandria, improves Hannibal in | | the pneumatic organ and alters it into Africa (202). | | a hydraulic organ. His son Hero still | | further perfects the instrument and | | describes it.

| | The first Macedonian | 200 | Aristeas, of Greece, a war (200). | | kithara-player, writes a treatise | | on kithara-playing.

The first library | | at Rome (167). | | | | Corinth and Carthage | 150 | Polybius, of Megalopolis in Arcadia, destroyed | | born about the year 204, historian, by the Romans | | writes a treatise on the influence of (146). Greece | | music upon civilization.

and North | | Africa become | | Roman provinces. | | | | Civil war in Rome | 100 | Alypius, of Alexandria, writes on (88). | | musical notation by means of the | | letters of the Greek alphabet.

The Romans | | under Julius | | Caesar invade | | Britain (55). | | | | Julius Caesar | 50 | Hermogenes (Marcus Tigellius), a.s.sa.s.sinated in | | singer and instrumentalist of Greece, the Senate-house | | settles in Rome.

(44). | | | | Cicero killed (43). | | | | Virgilius. | | | | Antonius and | | Cleopatra defeated | | (31). | | Augustus, Roman | 30 | Diodorus Siculus, of Agyrium in Emperor (30). | | Sicily, historian, gives some account | | of the oldest music of the Egyptians Horace. | | and Greeks.

| | Maecenas. | | | | t.i.tus Livius, | 10 | Vitruvius (Pollio M.), born in historian. | | Italy, architect, writes on musical | | subjects.

Ovidius, poet. | | | A. D.| Hermann in Germany | 1 | Gradual decay of the Greek Music.

defeats | | Varus (9). | | The Romans | | The first Christian hymns (St.

under the Emperor | | Matthew, chap. XXVI., v. 30; St.

Claudius | | Mark, chap. XIV., v. 26; I Corinth., invade England | | chap. XIV., v. 15; Ephes., chap. V., (40). | | v. 19; Coloss., chap. III., v. 16; St.

London founded | | James, chap. V., v. 13, etc.).

by the Romans | | (49). | | | 50 | Pliny the Elder, born at Verona in | | the year 27, died in 79. Several books | | on music.

| | Destruction of | 60 | Nero, Roman Emperor from A.D. 54 Jerusalem by | | to 68, musician, singer, flutist, t.i.tus (70). | | lyrist. He sings and plays in public, Herculaneum | | and is said to have maintained 5000 and Pompeii | | musicians in his pay.

destroyed by | | an eruption of | | Vesuvius (79). | | Tacitus, historian. | 80 | Plutarchus, born at Chaeronea in Juvenal, poet. | | Boeotia, about the year 40, biographer Martialis, poet. | | and philosopher. Several musical Pliny the | | essays.

Younger. | | Trajan, Roman | | Emperor (98). | | | 100 | Ptolemaeus (Claudius) born at | | Pelusium in Egypt, about the year 70, Introduction of | | mathematician, geographer, astronomer, Christianity into | | and musician. In his writings Ireland by St. | | he endeavours to reconcile the musical Patrick (110). | | theories of Pythagoras and | | Aristoxenus. He reduces the fifteen | | Modes of the Greeks to seven.

Fingal (Ossian) in | 200 | Scotland (200). | | Persecutions of | | From about the year 150 to 200, the Christians | | above a dozen authors are known in during the third | | whose works some account is given of century. | | the music of the ancients.

Artaxerxes, king | | of Persia, conquers | | the Parthians, & | | founds | | the dynasty of | | the Sa.s.sanidae | | (226). | | Probus, Roman | 250 | The Fathers of the Church who give Emperor, | | the first account of the sacred songs causes the vine | | of the early Christians are to be planted | | Tertullian, Clemens of Alexandria, on the banks | | and Origen. Their writings date from of the Rhine | | the first half of the third century.

and the Moselle | | The Christian communities had already (276). | | during the first century in their | | religious observances, which in the | | beginning were held secretly, hymns | | sung alternately by a single voice | | and a chorus in unison. The melodies | | of the hymns were probably similar | | to those of the Greeks. At all | | events, the Modes in which they | | were sung, and the notation by letters | | of the alphabet, had been derived from | | the Greeks.

| | Constantine, Emperor, | 330 | Silvester I., Pope, inst.i.tutes in is converted | | Rome the first school for Church-song.

to Christianity, | | and | | transfers the | | seat of his empire | | from Rome | | to Byzantine, | | henceforth | | called Constantinople | | (330). | | | | Division of the | 350 | Damasus, Bishop of Rome, born at Roman Empire | | Madrid in the year 314, introduces in into Eastern | | Church the antiphonal singing of the and Western | | Psalms by two choirs, and regulates (364). | | the intoning of the Ma.s.s.

| | Kingdoms formed | | St. Basilius (died 379) promotes by the Ostrogoths | | sacred song in the Eastern and Visigoths. | | (Greek-Christian) Church, and | | describes the Church-music of his The Huns migrate | | time.

from | | Asia to Europe, | | and come in | | collision with | | the Goths | | (375). | | Theodosius the | 380 | ST. AMBROSE, Bishop of Milan, from Great, Emperor | | 374 to 397, born about 333 in Gallia, of the Eastern | | died in 398. Introduces the Ambrosian Empire | | Song of Praise (Te Deum laudamus), (379). | | composes several hymns, and promotes | | the singing of the Psalms, in | | opposition to the old Greek music.

| | The Visigoths, or | 400 | St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, born Goths of the | | 354 at Tagasta, in Africa, died 430.

West, under | | In his works, writes much about music, Alaric, invade | | and especially recommends Italy (400). | | Psalm-singing.

| | Rome is sacked | | The Fathers of the Church, St.

and burnt by | | Chrysostom, Cyprian, and Hieronymus, Alaric (410). | | with others, uphold the cultivation of | | Church-song, which is discouraged by | | many.

| | The Anglo-Saxons | 420 | Macrobius writes on music according arrive | | to the system of Pythagoras.

in Britain | | (449). | | The Anglo-Saxon | | Heptarchy in | | Britain (457). | 500 | Boethius, born 470 in Rome, died | | 526; writes several treatises on the | | music of the Ancients.

| | Silkworms are | 550 | Ca.s.siodorus (Magnus Aurelius) born introduced into | | 480, died 575; musical author.

Europe from | | China (550). | | The Picts are | 590 | GREGORY THE GREAT, Pope, 590 to converted to | | 604, collects the Christian hymns, Christianity | | fixes the employment of them, improves (565). | | the Singing Schools, appoints | | Cantores, Precentors, etc. The The Visigoths, or | | Gregorian Church-song used in place of Goths of the | | the Ambrosian.

West, conquer | | the greater | | part of Spain | 596 | ST. AUGUSTINE, first Bishop of (580). | | Canterbury, usually called the Apostle | | of the English, introduces into Foundation of the | | England with the Christian religion, Kingdom of | | the Church-song.

Mercia by Crida | | (582). | | Mohammed, | | Church-music contributes much to founder of a | | the diffusion of Christianity in Religion (604). | | heathen countries.

| | The Pope in | 600 | St. Isidore, Archbishop of Seville, Rome acknowledged | | in Spain, born at Carthagena about as the | | 570, died 636. Promotes the head of the | | improvement of Church-music, and Church (607). | | writes treatises on music.

University of | | Cambridge | | founded (631). | | Conquests of the | 650 | Jacob (Deacon), Stephan Eddi, Putta, Arabs in Asia, | | Maban, and Acca (Bishop), were as far as Hindustan. | | distinguished church-singers in Jerusalem is | | England during the period from 620 taken by them | | to 700.

(637). | | The Caliph Omar | | burns the Alexandrian | | library | | (640). | | Vitalia.n.u.s, Pope, from 657 to 672, The Danes invade | 660 | introduces the hydraulic organ into England | | the Church for sounding the first (660). | | tone of the Chorale as a guide to | | the singers. He sends two The Britons are | | accomplished Roman singers to driven into | | Gallia (France) for the purpose Wales (685). | | of improving the Church-song in | | that country.

| | Conquests of the | 676 | Johannes Damascenus, born at Arabs in North | | Damascus. Introduces in Church Africa (688). | | hymns, the melodies of which differ | | from the old Grecian.

| | The Saracens in | 700 | BEDA VENERABILIS, born 673, died Spain (713). | | 735; an English Monk, to whom are Gla.s.s-painting & | | attributed two important treatises on Mosaic in Italy | | music.

(750). | | Pepin, King of | | Benedict, an English Abbot, the Franks | | introduces chanting in choirs.

(752-768). | | | | The Danes invade | 780 | Alcuinus, or Albinus, an English England | | Prelate, born 736, died 814; promotes (783). | | Church-music.

Harun al-Raschid, | | Caliph of Bagdad. | | Flourishing | | state of the | | sciences with | | the Arabs (786). | | | 800 | Charlemagne, Emperor of Germany, | | introduces the Gregorian Church-song Division of the | | into all his dominions, and orders a Monarchy of | | collection to be made of the popular Charlemagne (843). | | secular songs.

| | | | Church organs come gradually into | | use.

| | Alfred the Great | 850 | Notker, a Benedictine Monk of St.

defeats the | | Gallen, in Germany, composes sacred Danes in England | | songs called Sequentias Missales, (880). | | which are introduced in the churches.