ARISTOXENUS

ARISTOXENUS, one of the most ancient musical writers, was born at Tarentum, a city in Magna Græcia, now Calabria. He was the son of a musician, and it appears that he lived about the time of Alexander the Great and his successors. His Harmonics in three books, all that are come down to us, together with Ptolemy's Harmonics, were first published by Gogavinus, but not very correctly, at Venice, in 1562, in 4to, with a Latin version. John Meursius next translated the three books of Aristoxenus into Latin, from the manuscript of Jos. Scaliger; but, according to Meibomius, very negligently. With these he printed at Leyden, in 1616, in 4to, Nicomachus and Alypius, two other Greek writers on music. After this Meibomius collected these musical writers together; to

which he added Euclid, Bacchius senior, Aristides, and Quintilianus; and published the whole under the title of Antiquæ Musice Auctores, with a Latin version and notes, at Amsterdam, in 1652, in 4to. The learned editor dedicates these ancient musical treatises to Christina, queen of Sweden. Aristoxenus is said by Suidas to have written 452 different works, among which those on music were the most esteemed. His writings on other subjects are very frequently quoted by ancient authors, notwithstanding Cicero and some others say that he was a bad philosopher, and had nothing in his head but music. The titles of several of the lost works of Aristoxenus, quoted by Athenæus and others, have been collected by Meursius in his notes upon this author.