BEATING time is denoted, in the Italian music, by the term à battuta, which is usually put after what they call recitative, where little or no time is observed, to denote, that here they are to begin again to mark or beat the time exactly.
The Romans aimed at somewhat of harmony in the strokes of their oars; and had an officer called portisculus in each galley, whose business was to beat time to the rowers, sometimes by a pole or mallet, and sometimes by his voice alone.
The ancients marked the rhyme in their musical compositions: but to make it more observable in the practice, they beat the measure or time, and this in different manners. The most usual consisted in a motion of the foot, which was raised from, and struck alternately against, the ground, according to the modern method. Doing this was commonly the province of the master of the music, who was thence called μυζογός and χοροφάγος, because placed in the middle of the choir of musicians, and in an elevated situation, to be seen and heard more easily by the whole company. These beaters of measure were also called by the Greeks
Beating
Beaton. Greeks πεδοκίνοι and πεδοκίνοι, because of the noise of their feet; and συντοκίνοι, because of the uniformity or monotony of the rhythm. The Latins denominated them pedarii, podarii, and pedicularii. To make the beats or strokes more audible, their feet were generally shod with a sort of sandals either of wood or iron, called by the Greeks κρονκίλα, κρονκίλα, κρονκίλα, and by the Latins pedicula, scabella, or scabilla, because like to little stools or footstools. Sometimes they beat upon sonorous footstools, with the foot shod with a wooden or iron sole. They beat the measure not only with the foot, but also with the right hand, all the fingers whereof they joined together, to strike into the hollow of the left. He who thus marked the rhythm, was called manuductor. The ancients also beat time or measure with shells, as oyster shells and bones of animals, which they struck against one another, much as the moderns now use castanets, and the like instruments. This the Greeks called κρυμβαλιζιν, as is noted by Hesychius. The scholiast on Aristophanes speaks much to the same purpose. Other noisy instruments, as drums, cymbals, citherns, &c. were also used on the same occasion. They beat the measure generally in two equal or unequal times; at least this holds of the usual rhythm of a piece of music, marked either by the noise of sandals, or the slapping of the hands. But the other rhythmic instruments last-mentioned, and which were used principally to excite and animate the dancers, marked the cadence after another manner; that is, the number of their percussions equalled, or even sometimes surpassed, that of the different sounds which composed the air or song played.