Aulos

Uncommon card · No. 182385

In Ancient Greek music, an aulos (Ancient Greek: αὐλός; plural auloi, αὐλοί) was a wind instrument often depicted in art and also attested by archaeology. Though the word aulos is often translated as "flute" or as "double flute", the instrument was usually double-reeded, and its sound—described as "penetrating, insisting and exciting"—was more akin to that of modern woodwind instruments such as oboes or bagpipes with a chanter and (modulated) drone. An aulete (αὐλητής) was the musician who performed on an aulos. The ancient Roman equivalent was the tibicen (plural tibicines), who played the tibia. The neologism aulode is sometimes used by analogy with rhapsode and citharode (citharede) to refer to an aulos-player, who may also be called an aulist; however, aulode more commonly refers to a singer who sang the accompaniment to a piece played on the aulos.

Read on Wikipedia · Image unknown artist, ancient Greece photographer Jastrow (released to Wikimedia Commons under tag PD-self, Public domain