In addition to just being something nice to listen or dance to, music took on a huge role in society.
The nine muses covered many aspects of creative thought, such as: history, comedy, poetry, song, hymns, epic poetry, dance, astronomy, and poetry (in case y'all needed a refresher). Many of these realms of creative thought were based on music, like how history was taught in song. In astronomy, the Greeks thought that the planets made their own sounds while traveling through space. Music was also used as a treatment for medicine.
Plato believed that the music you listen to can completely alter your ethos. If the music is not promoting intelligence, self discipline, or courage, it should be banned. Which has resurfaced in multiple obscenity cases over the years resulting in Parental Advisory label on albums.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1aAunaw1GA
2 comments:
Sophia's post commenting on the 9 muses had me thinking about St. Martin's theatre department's production on Xanadu our freshman year. The nine muses were characters in the show and were played by our students. One of the muses was played by a faculty member. Mrs. Dieth performed on stage as Melpomene, the muse of chorus and tragedy. Bree played Terpsichore, the muse of dance. Nic was Thalia, the muse of comedy, etc. Everyone was able to perform to the best of their ability on a stage that was working with the basis of such archetypal characters as the muses. It was easy during the production of that show to get lost in the idea of an 80s roller-skate romantic comedy. However, looking back on the show, it could not possibly exist in the same way if it wasn't written upon the basis of the muses, who were born as gods in Ancient Greece. This goes to show that Ancient Greece did not only set up success in literature, sculpture, and art, but also in theatre. In addition to playwrights like Sophocles and Euripides, Ancient Greece also produced Douglas Carter Beane, the author of Xanadu, who brought Greek tradition and ingenuity into a modern light, paired with disco balls and roller-skates.
Having spent the past six years in Latin class with Magister Schwarz and Dr. Ramos, I and many of the other students in our English class have had a lot of experience learning classics from the Latin and Greek language. I remember when we were studying out of the Cambridge latin course. It talked extensively about the nine muses for a chapter or so. I believe authors like Homer, Hesiod, and some others would attempt to evoke the Muse and would use the nine muses as inspiration in many of their writings.
Homer actually begins his Odyssey with: "Tell me, O Muse, of the man of many devices, who wandered full many ways after he had sacked the sacred citadel of Troy."
Hesiod starts 'Theogony', and in 'Works and Days' with: "Muses of Pieria who give glory through song, come hither, tell of Zeus your father and chant his praise."
Latin scholars please add anything else you remember from our study of classics.
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