=Rome the New Centre=.—The Power that rules in the affairs of men
seems to have made provision for the elevation of the whole race by
diffusing at intervals of centuries, the treasures of art, science and
thought accumulated by a nation of unusual power and energy. Egypt
dominated the northern part of Africa, the shores of the Mediterranean
and the western slopes of Asia Minor, and in course of time yielded
to the advance of the Greeks, but leaving behind, as a legacy, much
that has had enduring value. What had once been centred in one nation,
under the control of one caste, the priests, was spread through much
of the known world. Greece, in turn, shaped the destinies of expanding
civilization. In the Greek social life free art played a great part;
wherever the Greeks went as merchants and colonists, they carried with
them the principles of Greek art, including music. Greek musicians were
accounted stars of the first magnitude in Egypt, in the Greek colonies
of Italy, and later in Rome, which, after the fall of Greece as a
political factor, became the political, social and artistic centre of
the world; through her conquests and subsequent colonizing diffusing
throughout a larger world than Egypt and Greece knew, an increased
wealth of thought and action which greatly influenced later generations.
=Rome Dependent Upon Greece=.—The Romans did not show a native instinct
for art. Their national qualities were essentially warlike, and were
developed by years of struggle for existence. A people whose organized
life was political and martial, and for so long found expression first
in defence, later in conquest, would not develop a true art life. As
they grew stronger they built up their collections by pillage and by
purchase; they were taught music, oratory, architecture, sculpture
by Greeks who sought the capital of the world. Roman nobles imitated
Greek customs, learned the Greek language and literature, cultivated
music according to Greek methods, used Greek instruments, such as the
cithara, lyre and flute, sang Greek songs and formed companies of
singers and players to furnish entertainment at their feasts and at the
public spectacles. The Roman drama was modified by Greek principles,
and Greek actors replaced Roman artists; the pantomime was borrowed
from Egypt. Music was a favorite distraction in the high ranks of
Roman society, and men known to history were skilful players or
singers—Sylla, Flaccus, Calpurnius Piso, Titus, Caligula, Hadrian, and,
best known of all, Nero.
[Illustration: ROMAN HORN. SYRINX.]
=Growth of Christianity=.—While the Roman Empire, in its turn, had
served the purpose of the Ruling Power in the affairs of men, in secret
a new force was gaining strength, one that was soon to drive pagan
arts and pleasures from open cultivation. In the Catacombs, in remote
sections of the great city, pursued, hunted like beasts, martyrized,
the Christians clung to their faith with its simple rites of worship,
in which the singing of songs was a marked feature. Whence these songs
came is by no means certain, the prevailing opinion being that they
were of Greek origin, modified by Hebrew influence.[7] In the course
of years songs were introduced in the Christian service with no other
warrant than that of tradition. During the years of persecution no
systematic cultivation of music was possible. Later, when Constantine
accepted the Cross, 325 A. D., and Christianity had triumphed over
Paganism, the abuses became such that the ecclesiastical authorities
set themselves to the task of reform and of establishing a system of
song for the use of the Church.
[Music: Tonus Peregrinus as a chant]
=Origin of the Church Scales=.—It is absolutely unknown when or by whom
the system of scales, known as the Church Scales, was invented. The
latest writer on the Greek System was =Claudius Ptolemy= (about 130 A.
D.). In 330, =Pope Sylvester= established a school for training church
singers, but we have no information as to the system he employed. The
name of =Ambrose=, Bishop of Milan (333-397), has for centuries been
associated with what are called the _Authentic_ Scales, but there is no
valid evidence whatever that he had anything to do with their adoption.
The name of =Pope Gregory= (540-604) has also been associated with
another set of scales called _Plagal_, with as little authority as in
the previous case. There does not appear to have existed any system
of notation in the time of Ambrose or Gregory. The Greek notation by
letters was forgotten, and the very insufficient system of notation by
Neumes had not been invented. The only writer of any authority after
Ptolemy was Boethius, and he did more to confuse the subject of music
than to explain it.
=Foundation of the Church Scales=.—But if we know nothing of the
inventor of the Church Scales, or of the way in which they grew into
their final form, we are, nevertheless, perfectly well informed of
the fully-developed system which, it must be remarked, grew out of a
misunderstanding of the Greek Scales. The Church Scales were founded
on the Greater Perfect System of the Greeks, with this restriction,
namely, that it was _not transposable_; whereas, we have seen that the
various Greek modes were transpositions of either the Lesser or Greater
Systems.
[Music]
This is the series of sounds from which the Church Scales were made.
None of them might be _altered_ by sharp or flat, _except_ the _B_ in
the second octave (and this was a later addition which was probably
owing to a remembrance of the Lesser Perfect System in which the B was
flat.) The Greek names were retained for the Church Scales, but as not
one of the notes was inflected, it follows that the _halftones_ occur
in _different_ places in every scale. The scales to which these names
were given were called Authentic, those with the prefix _Hypo_ were
called Plagal. In the table on the next page, the Greek and Church
Scales, also the Greek _octaves_ are given side by side.
=Confusion Between the Systems=.—We may gather from this table how
the confusion between Dorian and Phrygian has arisen. The Phrygian
Octave is identical with the Church Dorian, and the Dorian Octave with
the Church Phrygian. A proof that the Church Scales originated in
the way indicated may be found in the fact that the Church and Greek
Hypo-Dorian Scales are identical, this being the only Greek Scale
without a sharp or flat. The Church Hypo-Lydian was also called the
Ionian Scale; its arrangement of tones and semitones is the _same_ as
that of the _modern major scale_. It was not considered appropriate for
church music, being looked upon as soft, effeminate and lascivious, by
both Greeks and mediæval churchmen.
[Music: