ABSTRACT
There are two principal elements which determine the success of Aristoxenus' attempt to establish an independent science of harmonics and, more broadly, of musicology. The first is a delimitative approach to the investigation of musical knowledge; the other is the development of an empirical language with which to describe musical phenomena. These two elements complement one another in Aristoxenus' attempt to separate the various musical sciences from one another and from other disciplines. His strict delineation of musical investigation as a whole into individual areas such as harmonics, rhythmics, organology, acoustics, education and history helped him move away from earlier universal or encyclopaedic perspectives.
