ABSTRACT
Traditionally regarded as the major musical authority of the ancient world, the Peripatetic philosopher Aristoxenus of Tarentum is especially known for his technical writings on music theory, which were of outstanding importance in classical antiquity for the development of the field. An interest in musical education and in the role played by it in forming good Greek citizens, in fact, seems to have been at the base of a biographical event in Aristoxenus' life, that is, of his stay in Mantinea, in Arcadia, probably around 350 BCE. In ancient Greek culture, the belief that music could influence the human soul is very old; long before becoming explicit in philosophical writings, it is emblematically attested to by musical myths. The Peripatetic tradition continued on the belief that the musical elements are able to affect the human soul; in addition, Theophrastus, Aristotle's successor as head of the Lyceum, seems to have had a lively interest in musical therapy.
