Alypius (music writer)
Encyclopedia
Alypius of Alexandria
was a Greek writer on music who flourished c. 360
. Of his works, only a small fragment has been preserved, under the title of Introduction to Music .
). It treats, therefore, in fact, of only one (the fifth, namely) of the seven branches into which the subject is, as usual, divided in the introduction; and may possibly be merely a fragment of a larger work. It would have been most valuable if any considerable number of examples had been left us if the actual use of the system of notation described in it; unfortunately very few remain, and they seem to belong to an earlier stage of the science. However, Alypius's work remains the best source of modern knowledge of the musical notes of the Greeks, including a comprehensive account of the Greek system of scale
s, transposition
s, and musical notation
, and serves to throw some light on the obscure history of the modes.
The text, which seemed hopelessly corrupt to its first contemporary editor, classical scholar Johannes Meursius
, was nevertheless restored, apparently with success, by the Danish scholar Marcus Meibomius
. Introduction to Music was printed with the tables of notation
in Meibomius' Antiquae Musicae Scriptores, (in quarto, Amsterdam 1652). Meibomius not only made use of the manuscript belonging to Joseph Scaliger, but others also existing in England and Italy. Karl von Jan published an authoritative edition in Musici Scriptores Graeci, 1895-1899.
, in his Life of Iamblichus, celebrates for his acute intellect and diminutive stature, and who, being a friend of Iamblichus, probably flourished under the emperor Julian the Apostate
and his immediate successors, that is, during the 4th century. This Alypius was a native of Alexandria
, and died there at an advanced age, and therefore can hardly have been the person whom the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus
called "Alypius Antiochensis", who was employed by the emperor Julian in his attempt to rebuild the Jewish temple. Julian addresses two epistles (29 and 30) to Alypius , in one of which he thanks him for a geographical treatise or chart; it would seem more likely that this was Alypius of Antioch
, instead of the Alypius from Alexandria, although Meursius supposes the two were the same.
Iamblichus wrote a life of the Alexandrian Alypius, although it is no longer extant.
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
was a Greek writer on music who flourished c. 360
360
Year 360 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Iulianus...
. Of his works, only a small fragment has been preserved, under the title of Introduction to Music .
Works
The work of Alypius consists wholly, with the exception of a short introduction, of lists of the symbols used (both for voice and instrument) to denote all the sounds in the forty-five scales produced by taking each of the fifteen modes in the three genera (diatonic, chromatic, enharmonicEnharmonic
In modern musical notation and tuning, an enharmonic equivalent is a note , interval , or key signature which is equivalent to some other note, interval, or key signature, but "spelled", or named, differently...
). It treats, therefore, in fact, of only one (the fifth, namely) of the seven branches into which the subject is, as usual, divided in the introduction; and may possibly be merely a fragment of a larger work. It would have been most valuable if any considerable number of examples had been left us if the actual use of the system of notation described in it; unfortunately very few remain, and they seem to belong to an earlier stage of the science. However, Alypius's work remains the best source of modern knowledge of the musical notes of the Greeks, including a comprehensive account of the Greek system of scale
Musical scale
In music, a scale is a sequence of musical notes in ascending and descending order. Most commonly, especially in the context of the common practice period, the notes of a scale will belong to a single key, thus providing material for or being used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical...
s, transposition
Transposition (music)
In music transposition refers to the process, or operation, of moving a collection of notes up or down in pitch by a constant interval.For example, one might transpose an entire piece of music into another key...
s, and musical notation
Musical notation
Music notation or musical notation is any system that represents aurally perceived music, through the use of written symbols.-History:...
, and serves to throw some light on the obscure history of the modes.
The text, which seemed hopelessly corrupt to its first contemporary editor, classical scholar Johannes Meursius
Johannes Meursius
Johannes Meursius , was a Dutch classical scholar and antiquary.-Biography:...
, was nevertheless restored, apparently with success, by the Danish scholar Marcus Meibomius
Marcus Meibomius
Marcus Meibomius was a Danish general scholar. Best known now as a historian of music, he was an antiquarian and librarian, and also a philologist and mathematician....
. Introduction to Music was printed with the tables of notation
Musical notation
Music notation or musical notation is any system that represents aurally perceived music, through the use of written symbols.-History:...
in Meibomius' Antiquae Musicae Scriptores, (in quarto, Amsterdam 1652). Meibomius not only made use of the manuscript belonging to Joseph Scaliger, but others also existing in England and Italy. Karl von Jan published an authoritative edition in Musici Scriptores Graeci, 1895-1899.
Identity
There are no tolerably sure grounds for identifying Alypius with any one of the various persons who bore the name in the times of the later emperors, and of whose history anything is known. Jean-Benjamin de la Borde places him towards the end of the fourth century. According to the most plausible conjecture, he was that Alypius whom the writer EunapiusEunapius
Eunapius was a Greek sophist and historian of the 4th century. His principal surviving work is the Lives of the Sophists, a collection of the biographies of twenty-three philosophers and sophists.-Life:He was born at Sardis, AD 347...
, in his Life of Iamblichus, celebrates for his acute intellect and diminutive stature, and who, being a friend of Iamblichus, probably flourished under the emperor Julian the Apostate
Julian the Apostate
Julian "the Apostate" , commonly known as Julian, or also Julian the Philosopher, was Roman Emperor from 361 to 363 and a noted philosopher and Greek writer....
and his immediate successors, that is, during the 4th century. This Alypius was a native of Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, and died there at an advanced age, and therefore can hardly have been the person whom the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus was a fourth-century Roman historian. He wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from Antiquity...
called "Alypius Antiochensis", who was employed by the emperor Julian in his attempt to rebuild the Jewish temple. Julian addresses two epistles (29 and 30) to Alypius , in one of which he thanks him for a geographical treatise or chart; it would seem more likely that this was Alypius of Antioch
Alypius of Antioch
Alypius of Antioch was a geographer and a vicarius of Roman Britain, probably in the late 350s AD. He replaced Flavius Martinus after that vicarius' suicide...
, instead of the Alypius from Alexandria, although Meursius supposes the two were the same.
Iamblichus wrote a life of the Alexandrian Alypius, although it is no longer extant.
Other sources
- Translation of this book into Modern Greek, along with comments and explanation notes, by Athanasios G. Siamakis, Archimandritis, published by Prespes 2003, second edition. pages 140.