Delphic Hymns

The Delphic Hymns are the most extensive of the very few surviving examples of ancient Greek music. The two hymns to Apollo are carved on the Treasury of the Athenians at Delphi in stone. They probably date from the years 138 and 128 BC and were published 1893/94.

The paean of Delphi from 138 BC shows very well the use of the tetrachord synemmenon at the notational symbols Λ in the last line: Here is the previously used tetrachord g ' f ' it ' d' replaced by the synemmenon turn - f ' it 'of the ' c '.

The ancient Greek text reads something like this:

Listen to me, which has its deep forest of Elikona, her valiant daughters of great Zeus! Fly to fool with your words your brother Phoebus of the golden hair, which by the twin peaks of the rock Parnassus, accompanied by the magnificent Delphic virgins, begins his journey to the crystalline waters of Castalia, traversing the Cape of Delphi, the prophetic mountain.

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