Amoebaean singing
Encyclopedia
Amoebaean singing is a type of singing
competition originating in Ancient Greece
. In it, a first party sings according to a topic and verse structure of their choosing. A second singer then responds with the same verse structure and on a related topic. This repeats until one side concedes or a third party can determine the winner.
s to entertain themselves. Later, it would evolve into a judged competition, consisting of multiple rounds of singing between competitors. Competitors would be judged more favorably if they could continue a theme through multiple rounds.
The poet Theocritus
relied heavily on Amoebaean singing, with it becoming his and his successors' 'hallmark', according to David M. Halperin.
5: The Goatherd and the Shepherd, in an exchange between the goatherd
Comatas and the shepherd
Lacon.
Comatas
The Muses bear me greater love than Daphnis ere did see;
And well they may, fort’other day they had two goats for me.
Lacon
But Apollo loves me all as well, and an offering too have I,
A fine fat ram a-batt’ning; for Apollo’s feast draws nigh.
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
competition originating in Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
. In it, a first party sings according to a topic and verse structure of their choosing. A second singer then responds with the same verse structure and on a related topic. This repeats until one side concedes or a third party can determine the winner.
History
The form is believed to have been used by Greek shepherdShepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
s to entertain themselves. Later, it would evolve into a judged competition, consisting of multiple rounds of singing between competitors. Competitors would be judged more favorably if they could continue a theme through multiple rounds.
The poet Theocritus
Theocritus
Theocritus , the creator of ancient Greek bucolic poetry, flourished in the 3rd century BC.-Life:Little is known of Theocritus beyond what can be inferred from his writings. We must, however, handle these with some caution, since some of the poems commonly attributed to him have little claim to...
relied heavily on Amoebaean singing, with it becoming his and his successors' 'hallmark', according to David M. Halperin.
Usage
Amoebaean singing can be seen in Theocritus' IdyllIdyll
An idyll or idyl is a short poem, descriptive of rustic life, written in the style of Theocritus' short pastoral poems, the Idylls....
5: The Goatherd and the Shepherd, in an exchange between the goatherd
Goatherd
A goatherd or goatherder is a person who herds goats as a vocational activity. Similar to a fisherman who catches fish for a living, the drover here herds goats. Goatherds are popular in countries where goat populations are significant; for instance, in Africa and South Asia...
Comatas and the shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
Lacon.
Comatas
The Muses bear me greater love than Daphnis ere did see;
And well they may, fort’other day they had two goats for me.
Lacon
But Apollo loves me all as well, and an offering too have I,
A fine fat ram a-batt’ning; for Apollo’s feast draws nigh.
Further reading
- Theocritus and Oral Tradition by James B. Pearce hosted by GoogleGoogleGoogle Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...