Percepciones estéticas y valoraciones éticas del uso cotidiano de los instrumentos musicales en la Grecia antigua

Abstract

I propose an approach on the ethical and aesthetic cultural treatment given by the ancient
Greeks to the ir musical instruments (in this article. the focus of attention is on the aulós and the
lyra). Diverse symbolisms (of ethical and aesthetic character) associate with distinct social
situations. so that the meaning attributed to the aulós or to the lyra is not ahvay-s the same: one
is the meaning attributed to the aulós in the erotic context of the banquet. another one is its
meaning in the accompaniment of an athletic or military activity: one is the meaning attributed
to the lyra in the educational sphere. another one is its meaning in the funeral imaginary.
Amongst the plurality of symbolic contexts. I herein choose to approach one of them: the
dichotomy between the lyra and the aulós. in a pedagogical. moral, philosophical and
mythological context. which leads us onto a deep symbolic level. which leads us to the opposite
pair "culture na ture . This study takes us to a number of possi ble interpretations on identity.
memory and ethnicity. Therefore. we shall perceive "beauty" as defining of identity processes.
as well as organizer of social memory and ethnic register.