The aulos in classical and late antiquity : acculturation, diffusion, and syncretism in socio-musical processes of the Mediterranean

Abstract

This thesis concerns the aulos, that is, an extinct wind musical instrument consisting of a cylindrical-bore pipe with finger-holes and, probably, a double reed for a mouthpiece. The aulos was popular during antiquity particularly in the regions of the Mediterranean and the Near East. This research presents a holistic view of this musical instrument, its past and consequential history, with a focus on how it was transformed from classical antiquity (c.1000 BC-AD 395) to late antiquity (c.395-600 AD). This process involved an analysis of written, iconographic, and archaeological sources from both ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern societies. The research tackles issues related to the origin of the musical instrument, its use in both Greek and Roman societies and its eventual disappearance from the music scene. This is placed within a historical framework in which social processes such as acculturation, diffusion, and syncretism influence cultural aspects of society, including practices related to music and thus the aulos. This research includes fieldwork in Sardinia and Egypt. The Sardinian launeddas and the Egyptian arghul were compared and contrasted with the ancient aulos. Parallels between the past and the present suggest possible scenarios of continuity of musical practices from the past. It should be noted that the launeddas, the arghul and the aulos were contemporary instruments, part of a large family of pipe instruments, of which it was only the aulos that disappeared. To a large extent, the factors that contributed to its disappearance had to do with the eradication of the Greco-Roman customs, with which it was intrinsically associated, and the establishment of Christianity as the official religion of the Western World. The aulos probably survived until the advent of Islam, a religion which similarly associated it with pagan customs and therefore prohibited its use.