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krotalon
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Auloi player with phorbeia and dancer with krotala, detail from a kylix found at Vulci, Italy, signed by Epictetus, c. 520–510 bc; in the British Museum, London.
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krotalon

musical instrument
Also known as: crotalum, krotala
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Auloi player with phorbeia and dancer with krotala, detail from a kylix found at Vulci, Italy, signed by Epictetus, c. 520–510 bc; in the British Museum, London.
Auloi player with phorbeia and dancer with krotala, detail from a kylix found at Vulci, Italy, signed by Epictetus, c. 520–510 bc; in the British Museum, London.

The term "krotalon" (plural krotala) refers to an ancient Greek and Roman percussion instrument. It consisted of two small metal plates or clappers, similar to finger cymbals or castanets, that were struck together. These instruments were primarily used by women to accompany dancing. The term can also refer to a closed bell containing loose pellets that produce sound when shaken. Modern composers like Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel have used crotales to evoke an antique or Asian sound.12

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