ABSTRACT
Because of the tremendous importance of music in ancient Greece, philosophers wrote extensively about music. Many of their thoughts are still influential today and anyone seeking to develop a philosophy of music should have a basic familiarity with the main ideas they espoused. In the brief account that follows, it is important to remember that the time span is so extensive and the writing so voluminous that what follows is only a synopsis. Synthesizing nearly 1,300 years of historical writings from approximately 800 bc to ad 500 means that many details and interesting points have been omitted. Nevertheless, it is possible to identify some major ideas that you may wish to consider. Before we delve into these philosophical ideas, a brief look at music in ancient Greece will provide some context.
