Aristeides Quintilianus

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Aristeides Quintilianus was an ancient music theorist. Its lifetime cannot be precisely determined. Since he mentions Cicero in his work and Martianus Capella uses him, it can be found between the middle of the 1st century BC. And 5th century AD. The content and basic attitude of his work make the turn of the 1st to the 2nd century seem likely. Nothing is known about his life. It is only known that he wrote the three-book script Περι μουσικῆς (About music) in Greek . It is an encyclopedia-like, extensive representation of the musical environment in antiquity. It includes music theory ( harmony , rhythm , metrics ), education and healing through music, instrument studies, arithmetic interval theory and philosophical aspects of music.

Date of origin and author

The time of writing is controversial. The outer limits are the second half of the 1st century BC. BC, since Aristeides mentioned in Book II Cicero , and the end of the 5th century AD, since Martianus Capella used the work as a source. The concept of time varies between the end of the 1st century AD due to a comparison with the writings of Ptolemy ( Marcus Meibom ) and the 3rd century AD due to its proximity to Neoplatonism ( Carl Julius Caesar ). These and other considerations cannot necessarily be proven.

The assumption of some scholars of the 19th century that Aristeides was a freedman of Marcus Fabius Quintilianus and wrote at the time of the emperor Hadrian cannot be substantiated. From the distanced attitude to the Roman Empire shown in his work (Book II, p.71) and the memory of the honorable Greek people (Book II, p. 73) one can conclude that he was Greek.

Structure and content of the work

The work is divided into three books. By using different sources, some topics are highlighted differently in different places. It has also been suggested that later copiers made changes. The main topics are presented individually below. The quotation is after the number of pages in the Marcus Meibom edition in the form “Book n, p. m ”. The German quotations follow Rudolf Schäfke's translation.

Harmony

Aristeides presents the harmonics (Book I, p. 9–30) of the music of ancient Greece , the tones with their names, the tone genders , the Greek notation, etc. Since it covers a large period of time and only gives imprecise information such as “at den Alten “, the texts are not easy to interpret. The basic division of the sexes into diatonic (whole and semitones), enharmonics and chromatics (quarter tones, or another division of the whole tone) (Book I, p. 18) and the keys in Doric, Phrygian and Lydian (Book I, p . 25) is expanded into a comprehensive system. An essential source was probably Aristoxenus of Taranto , whom he once named and quoted his keys (Book I, p. 23).

Rhythm and metric

To define the term rhythm , Aristeides uses the pair of opposites elevation-depression ( arsis and thesis ) (Book I, p. 31). He discusses the topic in five subsections: the times and the feet, the sexes of the feet, the time, the changes and the formation of rhythms. This classification and a large part of the explanations is taken from Aristoxenus. The feet of the feet are made up of upward and downward movements and differ in many ways. Related verse feet are grouped into rhythmic sexes, the dactylic , in which elevations and depressions are equally present, i.e. in the ratio n: n (e.g. spondeus with long depression and long elevation), the iambic with the ratio n: 2n (e.g. B. Trochäus with double depression and short elevation) and the peonic (Book I, p. 36-38).

There is a close relationship with the metric . The essence of rhythm consists in the alternation of raising and lowering, that of metric in the inequality of the syllables. The meter corresponds to the meter. Among the nine listed are also the dactylic, the iambic and the peonic.

Praise the music

Aristeides created an enthusiastic praise of music. It is suitable for the education of young people (Book II, p. 62), supports in cult, fighting and craft activity and has a healing and soothing effect for those who need it (Book II, p.65). He takes over from Plato that this is possible through the special relationship of the soul to music.

Platonic ideas are also expanded to show how “the elderly” used and regulated music for the education of young people and governance.

He does, however, certify that the Romans have a more objective relationship to music: mainly he praises their military music, also as a signaling device in military combat (Book II, p. 70). The author ends the musical ethnology with the beautiful praise: "The people now, who lovingly received the ... music in the place of honor, I mean the Greek ..., are blessed by fate for virtue as well as for all knowledge and outstanding in humanity." Book II, p. 73)

Lecture and expression theory

“... I will present partly the teachings of certain old musicians, partly theories that have been passed over in silence to this day” (Book II, p. 75), the text section begins. It is possible that Aristeides is partly reflecting his own thoughts. However, elsewhere he also mentions the music theorist Damon of Athens as a source (Book II, p. 95). The presentation of the artistic lecture is not limited to the music; rather, dance and poetry are also included and these are explained in particular through several quotations from Homer . The male / female contrast plays a special role . The male is described as hard, taut, the female as relaxed, limp, or the male as stormy, powerful, the female as tearful, screaming (Book II, p. 91, p. 96). This musical gender studies also has its roots in Plato. However, Aristeides depicts the female side in a much more negative way.

Mathematical music theory

The mathematical music theory of Aristeides is based on Pythagoras , which he also quotes. Pythagorean writings on music have not survived, but the ideas of the Pythagoreans were passed on by several music theorists such as Nicomachus of Gerasa .

In the first part it is shown how the tones of the preferred intervals fourth , fifth and octave can be generated on the monochord by differently shortened strings (Book III, p. 116–118). The author also reports on the "earliest musicians" (= protoi ) who produced different tones by hanging weights of different weights on a string (Book III, p.113). Here, like other ancient writers, he passed on the false statement that there is a linear relationship, that a weight ratio of 1: 2 leads to the octave, one of 3: 2 to the fifth, etc. A quadratic relationship is correct (1: 4 or 9: 4).

More important to him, however, is the harmony of the numbers. The consonance heard is related and explained by arithmetic and geometric proportions (Book III, p. 119–120). This is followed by a metaphysical representation of the numbers 1 to 12 (Book III, p. 122–123), which is based in part on Pythagorean ideas. The idea of ​​12 as the most musical number could come from musical circles, since the fourth, fifth and octave can be divided into whole numbers on a 12-unit string.

Musical theory of being

“Now we want to go through the musical subjects in detail and highlight each one of his or her similarity with the universe.” This is how Aristeides introduces his musical theory of being. He establishes extensive relationships between music and the soul, virtues, the universe with the spheres and number mysticism. The authors who he uses as a source or who pass on similar sources on the basis of common sources are numerous and range from Damon from Athens to Poseidonios to Apuleius . Despite the multitude of references, the proximity to the Timaeus of Plato cannot be misunderstood. In particular, the doctrine of the soul (Book III, p.155 f.) With the representation of the Tetraktys is committed to Plato's numerical proportions with regard to the world soul.

Almost at the end of his writing, Aristeides once again praised music: "Music conveys the beginnings and foundations (άρχή) of all knowledge (μάδησις), philosophy the highest peaks (άκρότης)"

Aftermath and Tradition

Aristeides is not mentioned by the authors of antiquity and the early Middle Ages. However, it is certain that Martianus Capella used it as a source. It was not until the 12th century that the traditional manuscripts were read and used again. The oldest surviving manuscript is the Codex Venetus Marcianus VI, 10 at the end of the 12th century. In 1652, Marcus Meibom created the first printed version of the Codex Scaligeri, a text from the Paris National Library and a text from the Bibliotheca Oxoniensis with a Latin translation and commentary. As a result, the text was edited by numerous music theorists. In part, Aristeides Quintilianus was dismissed as a dilettante and "thoughtless excerptor". But since no other writing provides such a wealth of information, Aristeides Quintilianus is of great importance and is quoted in many works on ancient Greek music up to the present day.

Text output

  • Reginald Pepys Winnington-Ingram (Ed.): Aristidis Quintiliani De musica libri tres. 1963.
  • Rudolf Schäfke: Aristeides Quintilianus: From the music. Berlin-Schöneberg 1937.

literature

supporting documents

  1. ↑ Rudolf Schäfke: Aristeides Quintilianus Introduction, pp. 47–55
  2. ↑ Karl Jan . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume II, 2, Stuttgart 1896, Col. 894-896.
  3. ↑ Carl Julius Caesar: The basics of Greek rhythm following Aristides Quintilianus , Marburg 1861, pp. 6-12.
  4. ↑ Carl Julius Caesar: The Basics of Greek Rhythmics , p. 3.
  5. ^ Rudolf Schäfke: Aristides Quintilianus , pp. 47–57.
  6. ^ Rudolf Westphal: The music of ancient Greek , p. 251.
  7. ↑ Rudolf Schäfke: Aristeides Quintilianus , p. 73.
  8. ^ Rudolf Westphal : The music of the Greek antiquity , Leipzig 1883, p. 97.
  9. ↑ Carl Julius Caesar: The Basics of Greek Rhythmics , p. 81.
  10. ^ Rudolf Schäfke: Aristeides Quintilianus. Introduction, p. 90.
  11. ↑ Plato, Timaeus 47d.
  12. ↑ Plato, Politeia 401c-412a, 424c-425a.
  13. ↑ Plato, Nomoi 802 ff.
  14. ↑ Christoph Riedweg: Pythagoras , p. 46.
  15. ↑ Christoph Riedweg: Pythagoras , pp. 108–110.
  16. ↑ Rudolf Schäfke: Aristeides Quintilianus , p. 147 f.
  17. ^ Plato, Timaeus 35b-36b
  18. ^ Rudolf Schäfke: Aristides Quintilianus. Introduction, p. 41 f.
  19. ^ Marcus Meibom: Antiquae musicae auctores septem. P. 199.
  20. ^ Rudolf Westphal: The music of the Greek antiquity , p. 253.
personal data
SURNAME Aristeides Quintilianus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek music theorist
DATE OF BIRTH between 1st century and 5th century
DATE OF DEATH between 1st century and 5th century