As already mentioned in the introduction to our look at ancient music before and at the time of early Christianity, in his History of Music (p. 4), Miller reports that the ancient Egyptian music had a considerable influence on ancient-Greek music theory of the 7th century B.C.   Since, as both Riemann and Miller report, ancient Greek music would, in turn, exert a great influence over Medieval music theory, it might be helpful to us to take a quick look at some of its aspects.  

As Miller further reports, in ancient-Greek music, two cults prevailed, namely, on the one hand, the Apollonian cult, with the use of the Kithara as instrument, and being characterized by clarity of form and objectivity of musical expression, and, on the other hand, the Dionysian cult, with the use of the Aulos as instrument, and being characterized by ecstasy, passion and subjectivity.  

While a more in-depth chronological discussion of the development of ancient-Greek music would go beyond the scope of this brief look at the topic, we might wish to briefly consider some of the overall forms of artistic expression  in the context of which music was used in ancient-Greek culture:  

1.  In the hymns in praise of Apollo, with Kithara accompaniment, that, according to Riemann, later also developed into the presentation of the first epic tales that, as he explains, were actually sung and not spoken to Kithara accompaniment; 

2.  In the so-called Nomoi, which, according to Riemann, were a "bereits hoch entwickelte mehrteilige Kompositionsform" (an already highly-developed compositional form consisting of several parts.  As outstanding representatives of this form, with respect to Kithara accompaniment, was Terpander, and, with respect to Aulos accompaniment, Olympos, who, according to Riemann, belonged to the first half of the seventh century B.C. The various parts of the Nomoi consisted of a solemn introduction, the so-called Archa, and an epilogue, while the main part was called Omphalos.  Riemann states that the Nomoi were very likely developed out of the simpler forms of the accompaniment to the first epic tales;   

3.  In the Choral Dances; with respect to these, Rieman mentions the so-called Gymnopedes as well as the round dances performed at festivities of all kind.  For a long time, as he reports, Sparta was leading in the performance of these kinds of dances; 

4.  In the Choral lyrics, which, according to Riemann, found their highest expression in the Dorian Choral lyrics of Pindar (born 522 B.C. in Thebes, died in 448 B.C. in Argos).   Riemann describes the so-called Epinikion, the song of praise in honor of the winners of the great national festivals at Olympia, Delhi and Nemea, as the most important new form of Dorian lyrics.  He describes these works as having been developed on a grand scale and as having been performed at the concluding ceremonies of those festivals.  Very likely, writes Riemann, these choral lyrics have already been written beforehand and merely received some last-minute 'personal touches';  

5.  In the so-called Dithyrambus, in the context of which Riemann refers to the Aulos accompaniment in the Dionysian cult; as he states, this particular choral dance that had been developed rather early, had played an important part in the Dionysian cult, with the singer Arion who worked at the court of Periander at Corinth and had already written Dithyrambs at that time, as one of its early proponents.  As further represenatives of this form of choral dance, Riemann refers to Lasos of Hermione, Simonides, Pindar and Bakchylides.  He also mentions the Satyr costumes of the singers and that this kind of costume had also been featured in art forms that developed out of the Dithyrambs, namely the tragedy and comedy; 

 

Depiction of a Satyr

6.  In the Tragedy; as Riemann writes, the introduction of single speeches of the choir leaders in the Dithyrambus, the drama had been developed.  When, in 536 B.C., Thespos of Athens, introduced an actor into the Dithyrambus performance,  he had taken the most important step into that direction, as Riemann reports.  From 508 B.C. on, continues Riemann, the cost of the choir and drama had been regularly covered by adding them to the tax payments made by the wealthy families of Athens.  As further representatives of writers of tragedies, Riemann mentions Choirilos, Pratinas and Phrynichos, and as the three most important representatives of the classical era, he names  Aischylos (525-456), Sophocles (496-406), and Euripides (484-406).

As he further reports, the era of the ongoing, active creative development of ancient Greek music stretched from about 700 B.C. to the conquering of Greece by Philip of Macedonia in the battle near Chaironeia (338 B.C.).  Although, as Riemann states, Alexander the Great's territorial conquests led to a spreading of ancient-Greek culture, the new center that he created at Alexandria, was no longer engaged in actively developing the arts, but rather in reflecting and commenting upon them.  

As Riemann states in concluding his section on ancient Greek music, the music of the Romans that took its initial inspiration from ancient-Greek culture, was no longer a 'hervorragendes Mittel der Geistesbildung' (an excellent means for the shaping of the mind), but rather a 'schmückendes Beiwerk öffentlicher Schaustellungen' (an 'ornamentation' of public events) (S. 15).