Stefan Hagel

‘Musics’, Bellermann’s Anonymi , and the Art of the Aulos

Apart from the better studied musical ‘handbooks’ of the Roman period, mostly focused on matters of harmonics and sometimes rhythmics, there was a type of text known as ‘Musics’. The article discusses their characteristics, their function in ancient schooling and their relation to extant texts and excerpts, most notably the collection known as Bellermann’s Anonymi . The ‘instrumental exercises’ found at the end of these are evaluated as instrumental pieces posing various challenges to beginners on the aulos ; a new rhythmical reconstruction is proposed for one of them.

Aulos and Harp: Questions of Pitch and Tonality

Abstract This study addresses the question of pitches and pitch structures that may have been played on the excavated instruments, assessing string lengths and their implications as well as searching for a plausible effective length for the aulos including its reed, based on computer-modelling the behaviour of the oscillating air column. The results are discussed in the context of our present knowledge about pitch ranges that were typically used in ancient music.