Which instruments were associated with Apollo and Dionysus in ancient Greek music?

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In ancient Greek music, the instruments associated with the cults of Apollo and Dionysus served as symbols for two distinct aesthetic poles:

  • Apollo: As the god of music and poetry, Apollo was associated with the kithara, a sophisticated type of lyre. This instrument represented the Apollonian ideals of clarity, objectivity, and calm rationality.123
  • Dionysus: The followers of Dionysus, the god of ecstasy and wine, favored the aulos, a reed-blown double pipe. This instrument was associated with the Dionysian qualities of emotional abandon, sensuality, and frenzy. In addition to the aulos, Dionysian rituals often featured the tympanon, a handheld drum.14

These instruments were central to the Greek belief in ethos, the doctrine that music directly influenced the human soul and behavior. While the kithara was linked to the structured, intellectual traditions of the Apollonians, the aulos was integral to the ecstatic and subjective nature of Dionysian worship.14