Aulos

An aulos was a special kind of wind instrument used in ancient Greece. People often saw it in pictures and sculptures, and scientists have found real examples while digging up old sites. Though some call it a "flute," it was really more like two tubes that you blow into, making a strong and lively sound, similar to modern instruments like oboes or bagpipes.

The person who played the aulos was called an aulete. In ancient Rome, they had a similar name for this kind of player, called a tibicen. Sometimes people use the word aulode to talk about a singer who went along with the music of the aulos, or they might call the player an aulist. The aulos was an important part of music and performances a long time ago.

Background

There were different kinds of aulos, either single or double pipes. The most common type was a reed instrument. Ancient findings and pictures show that it was double-reeded, similar to a modern oboe, but with a bigger mouthpiece, like the Armenian duduk. A single pipe without a reed was called the monaulos. A pipe played like a modern flute was the plagiaulos. A pipe with a bag, like a bagpipe, was the askaulos.

The aulos was used for many activities, such as marches, poetry, sports like wrestling and discus throwing, and even rowing on ships called triremes. It was also used in special ceremonies and plays. Musicians who played the aulos used a tool called the Phorbeia, which had straps to support the cheeks and help with playing.

Mythic origin

Main article: Marsyas

In stories from ancient times, a musical player named Marsyas the satyr was said to have created the aulos, or found it after the goddess Athena threw it away. She didn’t want it because it made her face puffy. Marsyas then challenged the god Apollo to a music contest. Even though Marsyas played the aulos very well, Apollo and his lyre won.

This story taught a lesson about not being too proud or challenging the gods. It also showed how people in ancient Greece thought about different kinds of music. Some believed the aulos represented wild, free music, while the lyre stood for calm and order. This idea came mostly from the people of Athens. In other places like Thebes or Sparta, the aulos was linked to gods and even used in battles by soldiers called hoplites.

Depiction in art

The Chigi vase shows a musician playing the aulos while soldiers march in formation. The music helped keep the soldiers together and strong. In this scene, the soldiers are facing a challenge but are ready to move forward.

An old clay jar from around 540–530 BC shows the hero Herakles doing one of his big tasks. Musicians playing the aulos can be seen in the pictures around the jar.

Modern use and popular culture

Today, people are using computers to recreate the sounds of the aulos through a project called ASTRA. This project uses many computers across Europe to simulate how the aulos might have sounded.

The aulos is also part of a group of ancient instruments called the Lost Sounds Orchestra. Other instruments in this group include the epigonion, the salpinx, the barbiton, and the syrinx.

You can hear the aulos in movies too. It was played in a scene from the 2009 film Agora and can be seen in the 2007 movie 300.

In parts of Southeastern Europe, people still play instruments similar to the aulos. In southern Albania, an instrument called the cula diare or cyla dyjare is used to go with traditional singing. These instruments are different from the ancient aulos, but some think they share a similar history.