Apollo and Marsyas: musical contest or duel? A mythological approach of the symbolic duality between the lýra and the aulós

We study the mythological treatment of thesymbolic duality between the lýra and the aulós in the ancient  Greek music. We analyze the mythological complex that includes the following narratives: a) the invention of the aulós and its later disposal by Athena, b) the adoption of the aulós by the Sile...

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Main Author: Fábio Vergara Cerqueira
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Estudos Clássicos (SBEC) 2012-07-01
Series:Classica, Revista Brasileira de Estudos Clássicos
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revista.classica.org.br/classica/article/view/77
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author Fábio Vergara Cerqueira
author_facet Fábio Vergara Cerqueira
author_sort Fábio Vergara Cerqueira
collection DOAJ
description We study the mythological treatment of thesymbolic duality between the lýra and the aulós in the ancient  Greek music. We analyze the mythological complex that includes the following narratives: a) the invention of the aulós and its later disposal by Athena, b) the adoption of the aulós by the Silenus Marsyas, and c) the musical duel between Apollo and Marsyas, and its consequences. We compare the mythological approach of this complex in the literary and graphic traditions. Concerning the literary tradition, we focus on the following authors: Pindar (Pythian, XII), Melanipides (ap. Athenaeus), Herodotus, Xenophon (Anabasis), Apollodorus (Library) and Ovid (Metamorphoses, Fasti). With respect to the iconographic tradition, we bring mainly the painting of Attic and Apulian vases, as well as the Etruscan vases and mirrors, besides the sculptural groups known by Pliny the Elder and Pausanias. The popularity of this mythological theme, in the literature as in the vase painting, leads us to the philosophical, pedagogic, political and esthetical debate covered by the symbolic dichotomy between aulós and lýra. And furthermore it is an important component of an allegedly hegemonic system of thought, characterized by normative goals concerning culture and social behavior.
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spelling doaj.art-c2c719ea4dca42b3a9c11d5d5deb462f2022-12-22T02:51:03ZengSociedade Brasileira de Estudos Clássicos (SBEC)Classica, Revista Brasileira de Estudos Clássicos0103-43162176-64362012-07-01251/2617810.14195/2176-6436_25_477Apollo and Marsyas: musical contest or duel? A mythological approach of the symbolic duality between the lýra and the aulósFábio Vergara Cerqueira0Universidade Federal de PelotasWe study the mythological treatment of thesymbolic duality between the lýra and the aulós in the ancient  Greek music. We analyze the mythological complex that includes the following narratives: a) the invention of the aulós and its later disposal by Athena, b) the adoption of the aulós by the Silenus Marsyas, and c) the musical duel between Apollo and Marsyas, and its consequences. We compare the mythological approach of this complex in the literary and graphic traditions. Concerning the literary tradition, we focus on the following authors: Pindar (Pythian, XII), Melanipides (ap. Athenaeus), Herodotus, Xenophon (Anabasis), Apollodorus (Library) and Ovid (Metamorphoses, Fasti). With respect to the iconographic tradition, we bring mainly the painting of Attic and Apulian vases, as well as the Etruscan vases and mirrors, besides the sculptural groups known by Pliny the Elder and Pausanias. The popularity of this mythological theme, in the literature as in the vase painting, leads us to the philosophical, pedagogic, political and esthetical debate covered by the symbolic dichotomy between aulós and lýra. And furthermore it is an important component of an allegedly hegemonic system of thought, characterized by normative goals concerning culture and social behavior.https://revista.classica.org.br/classica/article/view/77Grécia antigaMúsica gregaIconogra?aMitologiaApolo
spellingShingle Fábio Vergara Cerqueira
Apollo and Marsyas: musical contest or duel? A mythological approach of the symbolic duality between the lýra and the aulós
Classica, Revista Brasileira de Estudos Clássicos
Grécia antiga
Música grega
Iconogra?a
Mitologia
Apolo
title Apollo and Marsyas: musical contest or duel? A mythological approach of the symbolic duality between the lýra and the aulós
title_full Apollo and Marsyas: musical contest or duel? A mythological approach of the symbolic duality between the lýra and the aulós
title_fullStr Apollo and Marsyas: musical contest or duel? A mythological approach of the symbolic duality between the lýra and the aulós
title_full_unstemmed Apollo and Marsyas: musical contest or duel? A mythological approach of the symbolic duality between the lýra and the aulós
title_short Apollo and Marsyas: musical contest or duel? A mythological approach of the symbolic duality between the lýra and the aulós
title_sort apollo and marsyas musical contest or duel a mythological approach of the symbolic duality between the lyra and the aulos
topic Grécia antiga
Música grega
Iconogra?a
Mitologia
Apolo
url https://revista.classica.org.br/classica/article/view/77
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