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Greek Lyres

Greek Lyres.jpg A diaulosThumbnailsGreek FlutesA diaulosThumbnailsGreek FlutesA diaulosThumbnailsGreek FlutesA diaulosThumbnailsGreek Flutes
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The Greeks had lyres of various kinds, more or less differing in construction, form, and size, and distinguished by different names; such as lyra, 30kithara, chelys, phorminx, etc. Lyra appears to have implied instruments of this class in general, and also the lyre with a body oval at the base and held upon the lap or in the arms of the performer; while the kithara had a square base and was held against the breast. These distinctions have, however, not been satisfactorily ascertained. The chelys was a small lyre with the body made of the shell of a tortoise, or of wood in imitation of the tortoise. The phorminx was a large lyre; and, like the kithara, was used at an early period singly, for accompanying recitations. It is recorded that the kithara was employed for solo performances as early as B.C. 700.

Author
Musical Instruments
Written by Carl Engel
Published in 1875
Available from gutenberg.org
Dimensions
750*518
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