ASPASIA
Welcome to Athens, wanderer.
More specifically, welcome to the musical
hub of the city: the Odeon.
ASPASIA
My name is Aspasia.
Though I am not originally from Athens, I
have climbed to the top of its social ladder
using my wit and intellect.
ASPASIA
I've even earned the love of Perikles, one
of the most powerful men in the city.
ASPASIA
The mind truly is a beautiful thing.
ASPASIA
Sometimes, when the burdens of life begin
to weigh heavy on my shoulders, I come here,
close my eyes, and surrender myself to the
music.
ASPASIA
It makes me feel like I'm a child again, my
mother singing me to sleep with a gentle lullaby.
ASPASIA
The Odeon was where musicians came to share
their songs with the public.
ASPASIA
The melodies played here caught the wind and
drifted through the air, soothing the souls
of Athenians across the city.
ASPASIA
Come find me when your visit is complete,
and we will talk about the things you've learned.
See you soon, wanderer.
NARRATOR
Music played an important part in almost every
aspect of Ancient Greek life.
NARRATOR
Whether attending a public gathering, rubbing
elbows at a dinner party, laying out offerings
in a temple, or marching into battle, there
was a song for everything.
NARRATOR
Aristotle even wrote that music increased
the efficiency of laborers, and it was often
played for rowers and field-pickers to keep
them working at a steady rhythm.
NARRATOR
Musical contests, or agones, were originally
only held during religious festivals.
NARRATOR
Over time they became cultural events in their
own right, and attracted musicians and spectators
from all over the Greek world.
NARRATOR
For example, the Athenian Panathenaia festival
featured competitions for instrument-playing
and poetry recitation.
NARRATOR
The Dionysia festival included contests between
groups of male singers to see who could best
perform a dithyramb - a merry hymn in honor
of the god Dionysos.
NARRATOR
While these contests could be attended by
all, women weren’t allowed to compete in
them.
NARRATOR
In the early days of the competitions, winners
only received a crown and an ego boost for
their talents.
NARRATOR
But from the Hellenistic period onward, the
rewards were upgraded to cash prizes.
NARRATOR
These prizes were large enough for musicians
to make a fortune, especially if they moved
from festival to festival.
NARRATOR
The Odeon of Perikles was built sometime between
the 440s and 430s BCE.
NARRATOR
The building was commissioned by Perikles
for use in the Panathenaia festival.
NARRATOR
The Odeon was also a venue for poetry readings,
political rallies, and philosophical performances.
NARRATOR
According to ancient sources, the original
design of the Odeon was inspired by the tent
of the Persian King Xerxes –
NARRATOR
- a spoil of war the Athenians salvaged after
their decisive victory at Salamis in 480 BCE.
NARRATOR
The building's roof was made of timber from
captured Persian ships.
NARRATOR
In this sense, the Odeon was both a triumphant
symbol of Athens, and an insult to their Persian
enemies.
NARRATOR
This structure was considered one of the grandest
architectural accomplishments of ancient Athens.
NARRATOR
In Ancient Greece, there was a type of music
for almost any occasion.
NARRATOR
Complicated songs like hymns, paians, and
dithyrambs were meant for the ears of the
gods, and as such were usually played during
religious ceremonies and civic life.
NARRATOR
Meanwhile, a hymenaios was a song performed
at weddings, and a threnody accompanied funeral
processions.
NARRATOR
For more merry occasions like symposia, skolia
[[drinking songs]] were the soundtrack of
choice.
NARRATOR
However, drama was considered the epitome
of artistic expression, since it combined
songs with poetry, dance, acting, and costumes.
NARRATOR
Plays were thought to be the connection between
mortals and gods, and the songs that accompanied
them – especially those from the tragedies
of Euripides – often became huge hits in
the rest of the Greece.
ASPASIA
Hello again.
I trust your visit was worthwhile, and that
learning of music was a feast for your mind.
I know it was for mine.
ASPASIA
Is there anything else you'd like to do?
ASPASIA
Fancy yourself an expert on music?
Then let's put your knowledge to the test.
ASPASIA
Which of the following songs was played at
weddings?
ASPASIA
Threnodies were funeral dirges.
They were unlikely to be played at weddings,
unless the musicians had a morbid sense of
humor.
Try another answer.
ASPASIA
It’s true that dithyrambs were on the merrier
side, but they were sung in honor of Dionysos,
not newlyweds.
Try again.
ASPASIA
A paian was a hymn to the gods.
It was not sung at weddings.
Keep trying.
ASPASIA
Correct!
A hymenaios was performed at weddings to wish
the couple a happy and prosperous union.
ASPASIA
Let's move on to the second question.
ASPASIA
The Odeon of Perikles was modeled after spoils
of war from which Athenian enemy?
ASPASIA
Athens would go to war with Makedonia in the
4th century BCE, almost one hundred years
after the construction of the Odeon.
Try another answer.
ASPASIA
I'm afraid Atlantis did not actually exist,
or at least, not as people think it did.
Try again.
ASPASIA
The Odeon of Perikles was modeled after spoils
of war from which Athenian enemy?
ASPASIA
Given the Peloponnesian War between Sparta
and Athens only began later, there would not
have been any spoils from Sparta to incorporate
into the building.
Try again.
ASPASIA
Correct!
Not only was the design based on the tent
of the Persian King Xerxes, but the building’s
roof was made of wood from captured Persian
ships.
ASPASIA
Only one question remains.
ASPASIA
According to Aristotle, music was especially
important to which group of people?
ASPASIA
Aristotle actually believed music should not
be a part of children's education, as it would
distract them from their studies.
Try again.
ASPASIA
Well... yes, but I’m not looking for the
obvious answer.
Think back to the tour.
ASPASIA
[[&laugh]]Given that a politician's main tool
is their voice, they probably preferred not
to be drowned out by an entire chorus of singers.
Keep trying.
ASPASIA
You are correct!
Aristotle believed music improved certain
motor skills, so it was played for field pickers
and rowers to increase their work output.
ASPASIA
You definitely have an ear for music, wanderer.
I applaud you.
ASPASIA
Farewell, wanderer.
I hope you enjoyed the sweet sounds of the
Odeon.
