Introduction to Music

work by Alypius

Also known as: “Eisagōgē mousikē”

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

Introduction to Music (Eisagōgē mousikē) is a work by Alypius, an author from Alexandria, Egypt, who lived in the late 4th to 5th century AD. This treatise is crucial for understanding ancient Greek musical notation, as it contains tables describing two forms of this notation and their interaction with the Greek modal system.1

Although written after the music it describes, Alypius's work is fundamental for transcribing ancient Greek music into modern notation. The treatise survives in an incomplete state, with the earliest of its 34 manuscripts dating to the 12th century. It remained largely overlooked until the late 16th century when it gained the attention of Vincenzo Galilei and his circle. The work was later published in excerpts by Johannes Meursius, Athanasius Kircher, and Marcus Meibom.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Alypius
…author of Eisagōgē mousikē (Introduction to Music), a work that contains tabular descriptions of two forms of ancient Greek notation; the tables indicate the interaction of the notation with the Greek modal system. Although the work was written well after the music in question, it is of fundamental importance…
Read More
…author of Eisagōgē mousikē (Introduction to Music), a work that contains tabular descriptions of two forms of ancient Greek notation; the tables indicate the interaction of the notation with the Greek modal system. Although the work was written well after the music in question, it is of fundamental importance…
Read More