Search Results: Lyre

The lyre was a stringed musical instrument played by the ancient Greeks. It was probably the most important and well-known instrument in the Greek world. The lyre was closely related to the other stringed instruments: the chelys which was...

Join World History Encyclopedia as they talk to Michael Levy, a prolific composer of the ancient lyre all about his inspiration and knowledge of the instrument. If you want to hear Michael perform, be sure to check out our video interview...

A fresco from the throne room of the Palace of Nestor at Pylos, often referred to as the 'Orpheus Fresco' depicts a seated lyre player and a bird in flight. It dates to c. 1300 BCE and this watercolour reconstruction was completed by Piet...

A young male tunes his tortoise-shell lyre, and a hare waits in anticipation. Fragmentary Kylix, c. 480 BCE. (Museum of the Ancient Agora, Athens)

Music (or mousike) was an integral part of life in the ancient Greek world, and the term covered not only music but also dance, lyrics, and the performance of poetry. A wide range of instruments was used to perform music which was played...

Join World History Encyclopedia as they talk to Michael Levy, a prolific composer of the ancient lyre and kithara all about his inspiration and knowledge of the instrument. There are a few tortoiseshell lyres that survived, like the Elgin...

This lyre was found in the 'Great Death-Pit', one of the graves in the Royal Cemetery at Ur. From Ur, southern Mesopotamia, Iraq. Early dynastic period, 2600-2400 BCE. (The British Museum, London)

This is the finest among all lyres found at the Royal Cemetry at Ur and was given to the Iraq Museum; the other lyres were divided between the British Museum in the UK and the Penn Museum in the USA. The head of this bull is a replica and...

A kylix depicting the god Apollo pouring a libation and holding an early version of the lyre (chelys) which was made from the shell of a tortoise. The bird may represent the crow which announced the marriage of the nymph Aigle-Korone, the...

Wooden lyre with a tortoiseshell soundbox, restored from remains, found in Athens, dated to the 5-4th century BCE. The British Museum, London