Seikilos Epitaph - Song of Seikilos

The Seikilos epitaph is the oldest surviving example of a complete musical composition, including musical notation, from anywhere in the world. The song, the melody of which is recorded, alongside its lyrics, in the ancient Greek musical notation, was found engraved on a tombstone, near Aidin, Turkey (not far from Ephesus). The find has been dated variously from around 200 BC to around AD 100.

Also on the tombstone is an indication that states:

I am a tombstone, an icon. Seikilos placed me here as an everlasting sign of deathless remembrance.
While older music with notation exists (for example the Delphic Hymns), all of it is in fragments; the Seikilos epitaph is unique in that it is a complete, though short, composition.
The following is a transliteration of the words which are sung to the melody, and an English translation:

Hoson zēs, phainou
Mēden holōs sy lypou;
Pros oligon esti to zēn
To telos ho chronos apaitei
While you live, shine
Don't suffer anything at all;
Life exists only a short while
And time demands its toll.
Here is performed by the music group : SAVAE

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Seikilos
• epitaph
• Song
• of
• Ancient
• Greek
• Music
• Songs
• Greece
• Hellas
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• yt:crop=16:9

[jimmyPain2121]

wow recording equipment was pretty good back then!

[jobloe3393]

@inamerica55585 That is the opposite of irony.

[menacingshadows]

@Superape613 .savae.org/echoes1.html

[Superape613]

Where can I buy this version? It's the best I've heard by far.

[2010SecondsAway]

Can somebody layer the drum and flute part over the chant and sitar (or whatever that string instrument is ?) It would be interesting to see how it would coincide with the notion of multiple layers vs. singular.. Also, could it be a a chant like thing that gives the frequency or harmony a "higher" feeling..

[mastouris69]

Κάποια γραφόμενα εδώ κάποιον Απογόνων Αγγλοσαξόνων και Κουτόφραγκων αποτελούν Απόδειξη και Επαλήθευση του ΠΑΣ ΜΗ ΕΛΛΗΝ ΒΑΡΒΑΡΟΣ

[anaspapas]

The pronunciation is so fucked up.I can't explain you.

Εμετικό.

[MrDarkBoy93]

@dankwarth That hymn is clearly incomplete, seeing how it is written on a fragmented tablet.

[georgekoul]

@OfferTh its already be in Civilization

[georgekoul]

@doeggu yes!! it was in Coraline.ancient greek music in hollywood movie,awesome