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De musica
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De musica

work by Saint Augustine
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Saint Augustine's De musica is a significant work that explores the relationship between music, mathematics, and the human soul. Augustine, while appreciating music's utility in religion, expressed concern that its sensuous elements might overshadow the words it accompanies. He believed that music's foundation is mathematical, reflecting celestial order, a view echoed by later thinkers like Thomas Aquinas.1

The treatise, originally in Latin as De musica, is one of the primary sources for understanding ancient Greek music and its connections to other disciplines. It delves into the technical aspects of music, its influence on character, and its role in life, ethics, and the cosmos. This work was highly regarded by scholars in the Byzantine and Arab worlds and remains important today.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
5 Britannica Sources
  1. Aristides Quintilianus
  2. music - Music in Christianity
  3. musicology
  4. musical composition - Societal perspectives
  5. music - Early Indian and Chinese conceptions

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