by Kelsey Winters

Created on: September 11, 2009

The combination of instruments, singing, and dancing, was an important part of the Ancient Greek society. Almost every tradition, ceremony, religious practice, feast, and celebration involved music. However, philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle realized just how powerful music was and how dangerous it could be. They theorized that music could change a person's soul, thus altering their mood and character.

This article is about the connection between music and emotion, and why the Greeks believed music to be so powerful. A lot of emphasis is put on the Greek's ethical beliefs of why music is powerful. They believed that music was a gateway to a person's soul because music was an expression of the soul and thus had a connection with it.

However, by examining the human brain and its physiological aspects, it can be seen that there is a connection between the brain and emotions, meaning music may not have as much power as the Greeks believed. Different sounds and tonal qualities can trigger different parts of the brain, sometimes triggering the release of hormones into the body. The release of these hormones can drastically change a person's mood. So, in actuality, music may not have as much of an influence on emotions as the human brain and its natural responses does.

The ethical effects of music were widely debated in Ancient Greece because music was believed to hold the power to alter a person's soul. Music in the Ancient Greek society consisted of sung words or poetry, an instrumental melody, and choreography. Because music integrated those three aspects, it was thought to have an ethical power to make deliberate and almost supernatural statements.

The Greeks integrated music into almost all aspects of society, especially for rituals, traditions, and religious practices. During the dithyramb, or the time of worshipping the god Dionysus, instruments were played, dances were choreographed, and praises were sung. Marriage ceremonies involved singing lyric poetry. The procession following the groom taking his bride to their house consisted of dancers and instrumentalists, and they sang more lyric poetry. The wedding reception (and other types of banquets and feasts) required each guest to sing something, whether it be a hymn, poetry, advice, commentary, or a continuation of the previous guest's song. Also, music was used as an educational tool. All the types of lyric poetry were written to be taught. Religious paeans, sung prayers, were meant to reveal

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