The Modes of Ancient Greek Music

The study analyzes classical Greek musical theory and practice, examining ancient terminology and the harmoniai or tropoi, surveying authorities such as Aristoxenus, Plato, Aristotle, and later commentators, and assessing instruments, genera (diatonic, chromatic, enharmonic), octachord systems, and the seven species of the octave. It evaluates musical notation and surviving pieces, including recently discovered inscriptions and hymns, considers the ethos and expressive effects attributed to different scales, and discusses how key, genus, and species determine tonality and melodic function, concluding that early emphasis rested on genus and key while later theorists moved toward a scheme resembling medieval tones and practical tuning on instruments.